Rita Wilson just released her second solo album, this one showcasing her songwriting talent. Her 2012 debut, “AM/FM,” was a trip into the retro pleasures of radio hits from decades ago, with countrypolitan epics like “Wichita Lineman,” buttery Age-of-Aquarius-lite fare like “Cherish” and “Never My Love,” and girl-group gems like “Come See About Me.”
Her new self-titled record is her own material, but it, too, pays homage to singer and songwriters of the past, with songs like “Joni,” which is a piano ballad tribute to Joni Mitchell that weaves together lines and titles from that legend’s work. You might know Wilson as an actress, for her roles in everything from “Girls” to “The Good Wife” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” (One of her first roles was on “The Brady Bunch.”) Or maybe you think of her as the wife of Tom Hanks.
She’s as at home performing a song as she is on a screen. Her new material will resonate with fans of singers like Shawn Colvin, with a balance of sadness and resilience, heartache and uplift.
Wilson is at the Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge St., Ridgefield, Wednesday, April 27, at 7 p.m., Tickets are $75, for $100 VIP/meet and greet. 203-438-5795 and ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
