On her second Artemis outing, influential singer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones offers up a scintillating set from the artist-revered Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver. Unlike Jones’ previous live outing (1995’s intimate Naked Songs), Red Rocks is more of a collective effort, featuring a crack backing band and a thumping duet with Lyle Lovett on reggae exercise “Love Is Gonna Bring Us Back Alive.” Like Jones’ career, the album is a captivating, hard-to-peg mix of soaring, atmospheric ballads (“Rodeo Girl,” “We Belong Together”), crisp, creative pop (“Satellites,” “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”), and jazzy blues (“Coolsville,” “Chuck E.’s in Love”). Jones wraps up the set with a rocking take on Van Morrison’s “Gloria,” paying homage to her influences while demonstrating why her own many imitators are still swimming in her wake.—RW
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