MUSIC

McGonigel's Mucky Duck presents Mindy Smith.

Blending big-city intelligence and sophistication with the clear and honest passion of classic country and folk performers, Mindy Smith is a singer who combines the best of both worlds, and her talents have earned the young performer a growing reputation as an artist to watch, as well as some well-known admirers.

No one -l east of all Mindy Smith -expected her career to start like this. As a contemporary singer-songwriter determined to record her music in a style that suits her self-written songs, Smith figured she ’d start her recording career quietly and work to build it slowly. She didn’t expect to make a big, attention- grabbing splash right away. She certainly didn’t expect to gain exposure on late-night talk shows and cable music specials before her debut album came out.

But every once in a while the arrival of a remarkable talent gets the reception it deserves. Before releasing her debut album, One Moment More, Smith had already performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She appeared with a list of superstars on the Lifetime Network’s Women Rock special. She had a video in top rotation on CMT. And she had the lead-off single on the acclaimed Dolly Parton tribute album, Just Because I’m a Woman, which also had contributions from Norah Jones, Sinéad O ’Connor, Melissa Etheridge, Alison Krauss and others. "My head ’s spinning," Smith says. "It ’s all been so far beyond my expectations. It’s been unbelievable,really. I feel blessed."