Scarlet Rivera | All of Me | (Bright Sun Records)
Videos by American Songwriter
3 out of 5
Oftentimes there’s a separation of six — or more — degrees that follows those who hitch their fortunes to an established star and then hope their own fame and /or fortune will follow. Such was the case with violinist Scarlet Rivera, discovered while walking down the street with her violin by Bob Dylan and then recruited for his highly documented road show, the Rolling Thunder Revue. An inking with Warner Bros. Records followed as did an initial album under her own aegis that drew mixed reactions. That initial effort was followed by extensive excursions into New Age, Celtic and World Music, several worldwide tours with her Celtic group and guest appearances on albums by Tracy Chapman, the Indigo Girls and Keb Mo’, among the many. Nevertheless, any transition from her role as Dylan’s diva to an assured solo stardom seems to have eluded her thus far.
That said, her upcoming six song EP All of Me may be a belated bid to reclaim the wider recognition that failed to materialize the first time around. The songs are all of accessible pop rock variety, with several seasoned musicians — guitarist Tim Goodman, keyboardist Mike Finnigan, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Steve Ferrone, among them — providing back-up. Rivera’s signature violin isn’t heard on all of the tracks, but her emphatic and expressive vocals more than make up the difference. Despite the steady delivery, there is a certain sobriety imbued here as well — particularly on “Lady Liberty,” an ominous ode to a nation that would deny the promise of peace and prosperity to those seeking freedom, as well as the beguiling ballad “Sacred Wheel” and “Songbird,” the dramatic, dirge-like number that caps the set.
There are upbeat moments as well — the frisky opening track “Dust Bowl,” the rocking title track and an otherwise feisty “50/50” in particular. So for all the insular sentiment implied throughout, it’s also clear that Rivera is making at least a tentative try to reach a mass appeal audience, and, in turn, shake the earlier association with the Bobster and bring her some belated attention in her own right.
Whether All of Me generates enough interest to achieve that goal remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it shows that as a singer, songwriter, musician and bandleader, Rivera has the essential additives needed to bring her out of the shadows and into a spotlight all her own.
