Lois Dawson

Lois Dawson: Sunrise

by Jim Santella
January 1, 1999

Deep and heartfelt, Lois Dawson’s delivery draws on the blues, Gospel, and jazz to offer ballads that contain dramatic tales of life and love. Her flexible voice, in the lower alto range, enables Dawson to remain clear and accurate while expressing with a full range of emotions. It’s difficult to guess an artist’s main influences, but the vocal presentation on Sunrise combines Sarah Vaughan’s round sound, Betty Carter’s imaginative pitch shaping, and Nnenna Freelon’s dramatic storytelling approach. A talented songwriter ...