Happiness

In the soulful spirit of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, Chico singer/songwriter Lisa Valentine uses her lyrics to explore personal and social awareness. In the bluesy title song on her new EP Happiness, Valentine lets us know, “… this is everything, everything you dreamed of/And maybe just maybe you deserve a little bit of this, I think you do/You deserve happiness.” This muted optimism is complemented by her depiction of The City in “San Francisco,” where—she sings over a pumping groove that would fill any dance floor—“There's a beauty wrapped in misery … And at night all the lights come on. And the streets run hot like the veins in a junky's arm/And on every corner you'll hear music play.” Produced by local engineer/guitarist Dave Elke, who adds hot leads throughout, the tracks have a Memphis-soul vibe. The arrangements are built up by an impressive collection of players, starting with Larry Casserly's electric bass and Robert Delgardo's drums, as well as the trumpet and sax of local jazz masters Rocky Winslow and Greg D'Augelli, respectively. Keyboardist Dave Bastian tastefully embellishes Valentine's melodic vocal lines throughout, and on the sparse “Smoke Filled Room” Joel Quivey's viola and Ben Jaks' bowed bass add poignancy to Valentine's strummed ukulele.