Wanda Jackson | ENCORE
There is nothing Wanda Jackson can’t do. And on the Joan Jett/Kenny Laguna-produced ENCORE, International Gospel and Rockabilly Hall of Fame icon literally does it all. Funky, garage rocking, choogling a boogie, wide-open jaunty and tenderly caressing a Country ballad, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers crank all the gears that made Jackson a tower of femmepower for generations. For the 32nd album in a career that’s inspired a breadth of artists from Amy Winehouse to Adele, The Cramps and Jack White, who produced her 2009 critic’s favorite The Party Ain’t Over, Jackson moves through what she does best, savoring every beat, syllable and sentiment. ENCORE delivers a crowning collection of songs that prove at any age a woman’s pluck can’t be denied or defied. The proof is in the rocking.