" The best music 2002 list for Miles leaves no Stones unturned"

Sunny Smith
Denver Daily News, December 31, 2002

1. Sheryl Crow - "C'mon, C'mon" (A&M Records). There is no denying that this is one catchy album. "Soak Up The Sun" was played everywhere, and unlike most songs that get that kind of massive air-play, I never really tired of it. Plus, and most important, I love Sheryl for her joie de vive, her surfing, and her proving that being over 40 can look like it is the place to be.

2. Nickel Creek - "This Side" (Sugar Hill Records ). When I first heard this album this past fall, I felt like it embodied autumn and it's golden glow for me. Fall 2002 will, for me, always be Nickel Creek's sweet accoustic strings and melodies. The talent of this young trio and the progress of their careers are ones that I intend to keep track of. This album is solid and easily the best folk-pop-blues album of the year.

3. I Am Sam - Movie Soundtrack (V2 Records). The entire album is comprised of Beatles songs done by various artists. The mix of artists are inspired and many of the selections are haunting and beautiful. The artists also happen to be some of my favorites. I love Aimee Mann and Michael Penn and their version of the "Two of Us". Sarah McLachlan's "Blackbird" is rich with mood and grace and I can listen all day to Rufus Wainwright singing "Across The Universe".

4. Bonnie Raitt - "Silver Lining" (Capitol). What can I say? Bonnie is Bonnie - thank God. She almost never misses and this is a fine example of how tight she and her band perform together - the album demonstrates what time and expertise in the business sounds like.

5. Rolling Stones - "Forty Licks" (abkco/ Virgin Records). I am in serious training for the February Rolling Stones concert. Every night you can find me in front of a mirror practicing my rooster walk, my Jagger-lipped sneer - this is the best box set that I have encountered to prime me properly for their concert at the Pepsi Center on Feb. 1st . With forty of the best Stones licks, I am ready to strut

6. Eminem - "The Eminem Show" (Aftermath/Interscope). Yes, Eminem can really tick me off at times but there is no denying that he is one helluva songwriter who can write a tune that gets caught in your brain - rattling in there for months. I also find his lyrics to be witty and creative. The guy can really crack me up - plus, Eminem is a hit factory.

7. Miles Davis - "The Complete Miles Davis at Montreax 1973-1991" (Columbia/ Legacy). With over 20 disc's of Miles Davis, you'll see why Davis is attributed with changing the course of Jazz. He is considered by all jazz afficianados as the greatest jazz innovator of all time. This box-set will set you straight as to why that is.

8. Etown Live Volume 3 (Etown). Although just released, this whole album has found a way into my heart. I love compilation albums and this is an excellent one to own. It does exactly what a compilation album should - it offers a nice blend and variety of music, giving the listener a "taste of" to create an interest in hearing more from each of the artists presented. Plus, Etown is a Boulder based institution and each year I look forward to their releases.

It's the local music scene and local musicians that I am most proud of and invested in. I am interested in the future successes of so many of our local artists. We are really lucky to have such a "happening" concert and live music scene here in Denver and it is our time for Colorado to get it's due on a national level. It is the rare night when you can't pick up the paper and find a great music act to go see at any number of clubs, bars and outdoor shows. We are lucky to have so many to choose from. What follows is my picks for two of the best of Colorado musicians, of which there is an ever growing impressive line-up.

9. Mary Beth Abella - "What Happened To The Girls" (The Abella Kids Records). When I first heard this album it grabbed my attention instantly and has managed to hold on to it. I love the variety of the songs and the depth of her songwriting. The songs on this, her debut album, have an appeal that say "Star on the Rise" to me.

10. Tyrin Benoit & The Shuckers - "Sometimes It Takes Awhile" (Comeback Records). I have officially listened to this album so much that it feels like a blues-cajun old stand-by album. It has become the album which I am most likely to play to get the good times rolling. The music is infectious and so is their live performances.