‘The Real Book’
Danielia Cotton (Cottontown)
4 stars out of 5

Danielia Cotton has been churning out well-received albums for the better part of a decade, earning comparisons to the likes of Janis Joplin, Tina Turner and The Rolling Stones, but the New Jersey native never managed to pop onto my radar until “The Real Book” came across my desk last month.

It’s a jaw-droppingly good collection of 12 cover tunes by artists as varied as Eurythmics, Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, Simon & Garfunkel and The Zombies. “My life was in a state of turmoil,” Cotton says. “So I gravitated toward songs that I knew would help me cope with the challenges that I was experiencing.”

There isn’t a misfire to be found on “The Real Book,” with Cotton especially impressive on her readings of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” the Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” (with Amy Helm), The Staple Singers’ “Respect Yourself” (with Tracy Bonham), Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” These songs were written by others, but Cotton has managed to make them her own. (Jeffrey Sisk)