By Kim Newman
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 2:51pm

It's only appropriate that Joan Baez's latest live CD, Bowery Songs, begins with the a cappella "Finlandia." For a career spanning nearly 40 years, her voice, whether via song or her tireless campaign for human rights, is what has wrought the legend. And Bowery Songs, from a concert recorded at New York's Bowery Ballroom in support of 2004's Dark Chords on a Big Guitar, is a survey of that myth, cataloguing some of Baez's earliest sounds to several of her most recent interpretations. While Bowery Songs might not reveal any stunning revelations about the artist, it’s a genuinely enjoyable experience, simultaneously calming and heartbreaking.

Baez's career was first boosted via live recordings in the 1960s. By beginning this concert album with "Finlandia," an oft-performed yet never-recorded traditional hymn, she returns to a more intimate, unadorned simplicity. Over the years, her perfect soprano has deepened, smoothing out like the most buttery of leathers. While her range may have reduced, her skill at interpretation has only grown stronger, especially on her cover of Natalie Merchant's wrenching "Motherland" and Greg Brown's sensual "Rexroth's Daughter." Of course, the requisite Bob Dylan song, "Farewell Angelina," is here as are some more traditional folk songs like "Carrickfergus" and "Dink's Song." In fact, it seems as if this concert forgot altogether that Baez has tried her hand at composing, leaving only her impeccable cover choices, another key to her celebrated voice.

—

Joan Baez's offical Web site
Joan Baez's Myspace page