Anne Davis' intimate Christian-based songs and soulful vocal phrasing have brought comparisons to such folk-pop artists as Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Victoria Williams, and Sarah McLachlan. Although the Jackson, MS, native sang in church as a child, she didn't begin to pursue music seriously until she attended Mississippi State University, where she worked up the courage to finally perform her songs in public. Following college, she moved to Nashville and began work on her self-produced debut album, Letters, Prayers, and Journal Entries. Work on the project was slowed while Davis dealt with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), a debilitating illness that can sometimes make the simplest task seem impossible. Davis prevailed, however, and Letters -- a beautifully nuanced sequence of intimate songs brought to life by her seemingly effortless vocal phrasing and beds of acoustic instruments, including cello, violin, acoustic bass, mandolin, accordion, penny whistle, and uilleann pipes -- was finally independently released in 2003. A Christian songwriter with an alternative folk sensibility, Davis has an uncanny ability to make the deeply personal seem universal, and she does it without the feel of fabrication, connecting the inner world of self-appraisal to the outer world of endless possibilities with her naturally unfolding melodies. More information can be found at www.annedavismusic.com ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi
