There are a few songs I love with all my heart that when I see a singer including them in an album, I at the very least give them points for good taste. One such song is Ann Hampton Callaway's "You Can't Rush Spring." And, that song is included in Ruth Aguilar's album "An Invitation..," so I was excited to hear the album, and specifically her version. Then, as I was reading her press kit, it says there that Ms. Aguilar is a protege of Tierney Sutton and Ms. Ann Hampton Callaway herself, so I was doubly excited. And then I play her version of the song...and she has got it all wrong. Her version is fast and frenetic, and seems to be at odds with the words of the song. She attributes the arrangement to her Latin roots, I claim it to her not understanding the meaning of the song. It was such a disappointment that I couldn't find any redeeming value in her other tracks. She has thin voice that cuts through the arrangements like chalk on a blackboard. So, sure, she may be young, and she needs to train, or have more life experience to sing these songs, but all I am going to say is that she has a long way to go. I very rarely go negative, but sometimes you just have to. She credits Billie Holiday as her main influence, and believe me, she has non of the soul, passion, and gravita of Ms. Holiday's music. God Bless This Child! (P.S. I hate her bangs)
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