With six years having past since Wheeler's last full-length studio collection (1999's Sylvia Hotel), this much-anticipated 2005 release overflows with a wealth of exquisitely crafted, powerfully resonant original songs. While her compositions have been recorded by artists as diverse as Suzy Bogguss, Garth Brooks, Bette Midler, and Linda Thompson, Wheeler's burnished alto, nimble guitar playing, and sly sense of humor insure that she will always be her own best interpreter. Standout tracks, like the bittersweet Summer's Almost Over, the aching opener Since You've Been Gone, and the careful character study Alice, are defined equally by Wheeler's gifts as a writer and performer. On the Plane and It's the Phone, both recorded live in concert at the now-defunct Bottom Line in New York City, are priceless examples of Wheeler the satirist. Taken as a whole, Defying Gravity paints a portrait of a performer and composer continuing to discover rewarding new avenues in her finely-developed craft.

Wheeler,Cheryl