Ron Zimmerman

Warmth in the Wilderness: A Tribute to Jason Becker features a large cast of musicians performing some of Jason Becker's best-known songs. Some of the performances include Stormwind's version of "Little Ain't Enough," Torben Enevoldsen's version of "Altitudes," and Evolution's version of "Go Off." Some of the featured songs document Becker's work with David Lee Roth – "Little Ain't Enough," "It's Showtime," and "Drop in the Bucket" – and there are several of the songs co-written by Mary Friedman – "Eleven Blue Egyptians," "Go Off," "ESP," "Black Stallion Jam," and "Concerto." This tribute will be best appreciated by Becker fanatics who also enjoy the work of the featured performers.

This is absolute manna from Southern soul heaven. On the strength of the one, long-unavailable 1973 LP that forms the core of this compilation, Tommie Young can stake a claim as perhaps the finest neo-Aretha Franklin stylist among the slew of early-'70s soul sisters. But she was a meteor flare, almost immediately retreating back to the gospel scene that nurtured her, save for singing lead on the soundtrack to A Woman Called Moses, Cicely Tyson's 1978 film about Harriet Tubman. (She recorded on Texas gospel labels in the '90s as Tommye Young West.) Granted, Young didn't have the protean power of Franklin (like anyone did?), so her vocal tone is lighter; but the sensational, effortless, melodic leaps on the commanding title track does nothing to dispel the Franklin impression.