Maria Jacobs - Here Comes Winter (2014)

Here’s a collection of songs that reveal a highly sensitive spirit. Maria Jacobs mixes her own introspective compositions with material by kindred souls Brian Wilson and Joni Mitchell for an album that is a reminder of the days when folk singers ruled the airwaves.

Most of the tunes have Jacobs singing with the Spartan accompaniment of Bob Fraser/g and occasionally with Cliff Habian/str and Brian Wildman/b among others. The guitar/voice duets have a stark and alluring simplicity to them, particularly the vulnerable take of “Both Sides Now.” Her take of “In My Room” is quiet and reflective, while her own material, such as the devotional “My God Is Here” shows her heart like an open and revealing book. Reflective music for chaotic times.~ By George W. Harris