Get Ready by Christy Wilson Band

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Led by a love of classic rock and a desire to use what they could find in recent popular music, Wilson took over on keyboards, and the CWB followed the thread of what they seemed to do best. By mid-summer of 2003, PowerHouse had fallen by the wayside, and after several nights a week of covering artists like the Wallflowers, Tom Petty and Natalie Merchant, they had spent several successful sessions in the studio, somehow "feeling" the solos, vocals and the rest of the arrangements much better than before.

Still, there is a versatility to the Get Ready CD that has been compared to the first Sheryl Crow album Tuesday Night Music Club. The experimental nature of this collection of songs is evident as drummer Bobby Nicholson, with an ear for dynamics and a dedication to finding fresh rhythm tricks for every track, gives each its own distinct feel. Lead guitarist David Ervin carves out a matching personality for every song, with seasoned instinct on acoustic and electric guitars, giving each the right tone and substance. You can feel him leading guitar-driven Get Ready and She Knows, while on more piano- and bass-driven Porcelain Doll and Let It Go, his less-is-more riffs set off the rhythm instruments without taking over. Richard Maddox plays original bass lines every time. (He also plays sound engineer in this project, and it is only as a result of his countless hours spent arranging mics, overdubbing, mixing and searching for effects that this finished product exists today.) Wilson's vocals, much like Crow's, provide the element that ties it all together, with a consistent, genuine style that is a little raw and very much rock.

Today, the sound of the Christy Wilson Band is already focusing, drawing from inspiration and experience to fuse together the best elements of their last few years. Most members would tell you that if they had this CD to record over again, they would do many things differently. Get Ready is a snapshot of an early phase of an emerging voice, and it is worth every moment invested. Mastered at SoundSource Studios in Oceanside, CA, and released June 12, 2004 in Carlsbad, Get Ready has already sold many more copies than expected, and sales have not decreased. Fans like this recording because "the music is simultaneously appealing and familiar," "it's a great CD for driving," and "it's like taking a live show home." "Turn it up."

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