Ann Savoy & Her Sleepless Knights: If Dreams Come True

For sheer harmonic beauty, it’s tough to top the vocal twining of Ann Savoy and Linda Ronstadt throughout last year’s Cajun-spiced Adieu False Heart, particularly on their stunning, end-of-disc rendition of “Walk Away Renee.” Not, of course, that Savoy’s ability to expertly handle such material should come as any surprise. As a singer, songwriter, journalist and historian, Savoy has, over the past two decades, emerged as arguably the nation’s greatest, and most aurally appealing, authority on Cajun music. With her accordionist husband Marc, their two sons (pianist Wilson and guitarist/violinist Joel) and just about every music luminary who’s come within sniffing distance of Cajun, Creole or zydeco sounds and influences, she’s covered it all. What to do for an encore? Lend her richly fragrant, sultry voice to an eclectic assortment of standards that range from familiar (“Bewitched,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “The Very Thought of You,” the title track), to recognizable (“Ces Petit Choses,” which is “These Foolish Things” performed in Savoy’s flawless French) to somewhat more obscure (“It’s Like Reaching for the Moon,” “If You Don’t I Know Who Will”). Backed by her wittily named Sleepless Knights (both sons, plus fiddler Kevin Wimmer, lead guitarist and longtime collaborator Tom Mitchell, rhythm guitarist Chas Justus, bassist Eric Frey and drummer Glenn Fields), Savoy serves up the album-length equivalent of a block party so vibrant and brilliant you want it to carry on ’til dawn. Indeed, as one track’s title so presciently suggests, Savoy and company are uniquely skilled at “Getting Some Fun Out of Life.”

Originally Published September 1, 2007