Elana James

Elana James’ debut album mixes things up a little, in a good way. She’s a great fiddle player and a respectably heart-thumping jazz violinist. When these two things are combined with a voice that rattles the rafters and some ready-to-ramble sidemen, it’s a great album. There’s a strain of innocence in the vocals—it’s possible to believe, while listening to James’ cover of Bob Dylan’s “One More Night,” that it’s really her first broken heart. Assimilating traditional Americana tunes like “Goodbye, Liza Jane” and jazz standards like Ellington’s “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)” with original compositions, James travels a lot of ground, bopping all the way. Her version of “Silver Bells” went straight to my holiday mix. Don’t wait for Christmas—catch her in Grass Valley or Winters this week.