Life, Erica Ballinger (Akire Music)
This solo debut begins with a simple, sure-footed acoustic chord progression; then, a funky, jazz-rock combo kicks in with the opening line, “Life has a meaning . . . .” The elements are all in place: Erica Ballinger’s “Life” is a debut that understands the power of simplicity, and, as the opening song goes on to argue, the self-worth that our day-to-day life tries so hard to destroy.
Ballinger’s bold, precise alto is just the voice to sell the salvation offered here--acceptance of the job ahead of us, resolution to transcend past mistakes, comprehension of interconnectedness that crosses racial and social boundaries and determination to set one’s boundaries. The instrumental accompaniment for that voice is understated at first, builds in ethereal keys with “Green,” peaks with a redemptive conga-led jam on “Never Again,” deepens in resonance with a gorgeous trumpet lead by Joe Rodriguez on “Black is the Color.” And then it closes, sparingly calling to mind the beginning, with a stately collaboration of guitar and voice that unforgettably sums up all that’s come before. (Send $12 to Akire Music, PO Box 170303, San Francisco, CA 94117-0303)