Stephanie Bettman & Luke Halpin

COUNTRY JUKEBOX – GERMANY – NEW FACES / Max W. Achatz
(Translation by C. Wawersik)

The song-writer, singer and outstanding fiddle virtuoso, Stephanie Bettman who hails from Albuquerque, NM and now calls L.A. California home has produced an album, Get Close to Me, with powerful songs that stick in your mind. In the recording produced by GRAMMY winner Richard Greene the singer convinces with a clear, expressive voice. The eleven impressive songs of deep intensity feature the songwriting of this charming, newcomer. With the exception of Evening Prayer Blues, a DeFord Bailey composition, all of the songs are original, written without any collaboration. The instrumentation is perfect and mostly subdued. The base tone is melancholy and thoughtful, sometimes very sad. The text of the songs is full of wonderful observations on life. It is a CD, which wouldn't heat up a party, but one which brings magic to a living room. That Stephanie Bettman has reached a level comparable to others like Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez and Allison Krauss so quickly is a bit uncanny. Get Close to Me is an album that deserves a place of honor in any collection of CDs held by fans of singer/songwriters.
- Country Jukebox

Stephanie Bettman is an award-winning singer and fiddler with impressive versatility. "Get Close To Me" is traditional-sounding folk a la Joan Baez as Bettman brings forth a dulcet voice, pure and clear. She and her tight band spice things up with the rocking "Seed of Doubt" where Bettman displays her fiddle prowess and vocal power. "Deja Vu" switches things up again with a jaunty, '30s-sounding torch song that has a hint of Patsy Cline in the grooves. Bettman and co. have plenty of cards up their sleeves and they deal them well. - Music Connection

Posted on September 30th, 2008


Stephanie Bettman is a fiddle player, songwriter, and singer whose work might be closest to country music — indeed might fit well in many country playlists — but whose sound and style also brings in touches of jazz, folk, and bluegrass. Her voice is an interesting contrast and compliment to the rough hewn idea of country, though: Bettman’s singing recalls the soaring soprano of Joan Baez or the distinctive phrasing of Frances Black. With her playing on the fiddle she draws the listener right in from the opening notes of the title track, Get Close to Me. That’s not the inviting country teaser the title might suggest; instead it’s a rather haunting exploration of the nature of love. Haunting or haunted is a word which fits much of Bettman’s writing on this collection. With the exception of the funny and slightly sarcastic I Love Ya Honey, her characters are for the most part working their ways through the darker sides of life. Titles such as Lulu Wants to Die, The Letting Go, and Seeds of Doubt begin to give the clue about this. That may be one of the reason Bettman’s finding good success in bluegrass circles, too: she’s mastered that bluegrass art of pairing a dark lyric with a powerful upbeat melody. Though her music and her experiences in film, theater, and other aspects of the performing arts have taken her from Korea to California, this is her debut recording. It will be interesting to see how her musical career evolves. She’s an artist to watch.

Kerry Dexter is a contributing writer at the folk and world music magazine Dirty Linen. and the.former folk music editor at VH1.com. She also writes about music, the arts, and creative practice at the award winning blogMusic Road.

- Kerry Dexter of Dirty Linen at Bloggernews.net