POP MUSIC REVIEW : Wynonna Judd Now a Whirlwind as a Soloist

Wynonna Judd, who performed Wednesday at the Blockbuster Pavilion here, seems to become a more gutsy performer with each show.

After she left the mother-daughter duo the Judds a few years ago, her performances were tentative at first. They had a little-girl-lost feel that tended to deflate her material. On stage, her attempts at bravura simply didn’t ring true.

Since those days, though, she’s turned into a whirlwind. On Wednesday, she swooped on stage with a take-charge attitude, belting out tunes, dancing, joking and even doing a little preaching. Her inspirational, broken-romance material needs the kind of authority she’s exhibiting now.

Judd--who will be going off the road soon to prepare for the birth of her baby--is still one of the best pop singers around, which she made very clear throughout the show. She hardly bothers with traditional country tunes, preferring a pop blend that forces country to take a back seat to ‘40s-style torch singing, soul and gospel. Her performance was enhanced by the work of her terrific band and trio of backup singers.

Tim McGraw, country’s newest star, opened the show with a rousing set of rock-bottom honky-tonk. The main flaw of “Not a Moment Too Soon,” his debut album and the year’s biggest country hit, is that the echoes of such greats as George Jones and Merle Haggard are so loud that the real McGraw never comes through. On stage, McGraw has a more distinctive style, and he thoroughly energized some songs that seem flat and derivative on the album.