Shelby Lynne

Shelby Lynne's career path is as twisted as that of any contemporary performer, and it shows no signs of straightening out anytime soon. She bowed in 1989 with Sunrise, which Epic Records marketed as country. But her inability to color within the genre's lines caused her to bump from label to label until the Island imprint issued 2000's I Am Shelby, which earned her a Best New Artist Grammy a decade-plus after her debut. Regrettably, Lynne, joined on this bill by Basia Bulat and David McMillin, promptly sabotaged her rehabilitated cred with 2001's slicked-up Love, Shelby, and a pair of subsequent albums for Capitol failed to get her back on track. Just a Little Lovin' (released by yet another company, Lost Highway) is an improvement — a tribute to the late Dusty Springfield that Lynne delivers with class. Still, it's more of a stopgap than a breakthrough for a talented performer who's taken a lot of rocky roads.