"Fairgrounds" Jane Franklin's newest CD, is a kaleidoscope of the thoughts and feelings of a woman who is more than halfway to the place she wants to be.

Miss Franklin sings about the things that make us human. Her dynamic voice soars through songs of renewed life and love, and touches down gracefully to explore the sadness of loss and loneliness. When her music celebrates the simple act of surviving while still being able to laugh, Jane taps into the emotional strengths and vulnerabilities that outline our lives. She pulls the curtain aside and allows us to take a peek at what makes her tick. In doing so, we learn a little about ourselves.

Composer/lyricist Robin Meloy Goldsby has given Jane much to sing about; the six new songs she has written (one with Franklin herself) are poignant and accurate reflections of the triumphs and struggles that are partners in the search for love. Sometimes we find it, sometimes we don't; but Ms. Goldsby's songs always make us grateful that we signed up for the voyage. Each song is a gem; musically, lyrically, and emotionally. Goldsby is a woman who understands her craft and understands her singer. Together, Goldsby and Franklin have a gift for capturing the essence of a feeling, the feeling of a time.

"Fairgrounds" was recorded at Subtone studios in Dortmund, again with first class engineer Ralf Kiwit to expertly guide the stellar cast of musicians that includes John Goldsby, Frank Chastinier, Jurgen Peiffer, Jochen Hartmann-Hilter, Peter Wenniger, Jochen Kilian, Thomas Brill, Bernd Zinsius, Karl Overmann, Felicitas Stephan, Kim Jovy, Axel Riesenweber, Andreas Schichentanz and Guido Wellers. They played and Jane cooked, in more ways than one. As Jane tells it, she had to take time off from her diva activities to prepare several meals for her hungry sidemen. "The drummer always swings harder if he eats a bowl of curried noodles and a green salad", she says with a smile. Whatever she did, it worked. They sound great.