Eilen Jewell On World Cafe

Eilen Jewell's latest album, Queen of the Minor Key, is a contemporary update on the classic sounds of roots rock, R&B and girl-group pop. While her country- and blues-infused songwriting has been favorably compared with contemporaries like Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, Jewell's approach is equally inspired by jazz divas like Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith. Queen of the Minor Key was recorded in a cabin in the mountains of Jewell's Idaho home, but it conjures images of smoky downtown jazz clubs and swinging honky-tonks on the wrong side of the tracks.

On this episode of World Café, Jewell performs four songs from her new album and talks with host David Dye about busking on the streets of Boston and the inspiring legacy of Loretta Lynn.