Reflecting a lifetime of experience, Terry Callier squeezes every ounce of emotion from his world-weary voice. Born in Chicago, Callier recorded several albums during the 1960s and was an integral part of both the soul and folk movements of that time. Returning to music in the late 1990s after a decade-long hiatus, Callier's evocative artistry is as strong as ever. LifeTime, his follow-up to the 1997 comeback TimePeace, finds him accompanied by accomplished Chicago sidemen like bassist Eric Hochberg and drummer Paul Wertico. The singer-songwriter displays a true elegance, crooning through a dozen original compositions; he even performs a duet with electro-folk chanteuse Beth Orton. On the spellbinding "Where a Lark Is Singing," Callier's heartfelt and delicate voice is accompanied only by bassist Hochberg, while other arrangements expand to include organ, tenor sax, chorus, and percussion. Moods range from stirring to smooth to sedate, but it's all a part of Callier's expressive, inimitable brand of jazz-folk. --Mitch Myers