LESLEE BOEHM —MY TURN (CD Baby; iTunes; digstation)

[Maurice Hope]

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lesleeboehm Leslee Boehm is a new name to come on to the scene, and a fiddle player at that. Young Texan, Leslee Boehm may on occasions, vocally lean towards country music mainstream but she also possesses a wonderful touch with the bow and has a great love for western swing. Through the help of such stalwarts as, Rich O’Brien who plays with western singer-songwriter, storyteller Red Steagall she looks set to establish herself both as a fine performer and recording act in the near future.

Working with bands in and around her area, and getting to play with such acts as Johnny and Dick Gimble, Randy Elmore, Kimberly Murray and the aforementioned, Steagall, Boehm is learning her trade well. And why not since she has the finest of teachers and, two of them Lydia Stuart and Valerie O’Brien join her for Texas swing classic ‘San Antonio Rose’. Such is their version of the Bob Wills classic it glides, effortlessly, and is a top class performance in anyone’s book.

With aid from O’Brien who not only lends excellent support on guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals but also produce the musicians in support is kept to a minimal which is no bad thing as the outstanding, Gary Carpenter (steel guitar), Ronny Ellis (bass) and Brent Dacus (drums) apart from herself and O’Brien are the players. In the main her choice of material is superb, but I am unsure about Kris Kristofferson’s ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’, because it needs a more mature voice to match that of someone I will always associated the song, Sammi Smith, but everyone can have their opinion and she actually does a good job of it.
Of those she is heard at her best, and mark my word she will become better with age since Leslee Boehm does have what it takes and we are not just talking potential for verification of her ability you need only to hear her excellent handing of ‘Old Fashioned Love’. That loaded with steel guitar to go with her beautiful swing fiddle and vocals is a genuine highlight.

On leaning towards mainstream country ‘When I Think About Cheating’ sees her handle the song in an accomplished fashion, that continues through to the likes of an instrumental version of ‘Don’t Let The Deal Go Down’ and a fantastic take of the old Ray Price hit, ‘Heartaches By The Number’. Her vocals alongside typical top-notch fiddle are a delight from first to last, and she also makes a fine fist of ‘I Still Miss Someone’. Fiddle favourite ‘Orange Blossom Special’ gains an inclusion and slots in well enough, but give me the slower by far ‘Waltz Across Texas’ any day, but it does give Leslee the opportunity to let her hair down!
Through her contact and support of O’Brien (a recording act in his own right and once recorded a duet album with a hero of mine, and many others —Norman Blake) she will progress and I fully expect her to be soon attached to a label like Western Jubilee Records or a one like it!
Maurice Hope

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