Jessie Smith

”Smith is roots deep and shows it at every turn. There are hooks and grooves all over the album, most pointing to the past but not tied to it. I hear blues and gospel and a little modern country.... I hear love and venom and joy in the mere performance of the music. Like she could not imagine a world without music. Like if it did not exist life would not be life. At times, I swear I can hear the hurt because when emotions and music hit just the right notes, it does hurt.”
— No Depression, Frank Gutch Jr. (full article here: http://nodepression.com/album-review/jessie-smith-tongue-and-groove)