Marcia Ball Shine Bright

Marcia Ball

Shine Bright
Alligator Records

It's been a 50 year run for Marcia Ball performing her mix of Gulf Coast blues and rhythm music and this is her seventh album for Alligator to go along 8 similar albums for Capitol, Antone's and Rounder. With her mix of a rollicking piano in the vein of Professor Longhair and Fats Domino and soulful singing influenced by the great Irma Thomas, she has been thrilling blues and roots audiences as a touring performer for nearly forty years. This latest recording was produced by Steve Berlin who adds baritone sax to many tracks with others heard here including guitarist Mike Schermer, organist Red Young, bassist Lee Allen Zeno and guitarist and accordionist Roddie Romero. Of course, Ball herself is at the center with her soul-laced singing and New Orleans-rooted boogie piano, as well as contributed nine originals to go with three interpretations of songs from other sources.

As to be expected there are plenty of hot grooves, rocking piano and searing guitar starting off with the title track and her fervent message of hope in these times and then followed by the second line funk of Ernie K-Doe's "I Got to Find Somebody" to love her right. Her piano captures on this the spirit of Allen Toussaint (who this album is dedicated to along with Fats Domino and Buckwheat Zydeco) and Eric Bernhardt's tenor sax solo is firming in the classic New Orleans tradition. There is more Crescent City fun on an original she wrote with Shelly King and Tim Cook, "When the Mardi Gras Is Over."

Gary Nicholson co-wrote, "They Don't Make 'Em Like That," with its complaint that the music of today doesn't hold up or is as lasting as the blues and country of yesteryear. Bernhardt shining. Mike Schermer co-wrote "Life of the Party," with its calypso groove along with Enrique Chi's fiery trumpet, followed by her heartfelt blues singing on Ray Charles' "What Would I Do." "Once in a Lifetime" is a soulful original where she advises the guys if it is really true love, make sure you treat her fine. Schermer takes a tightly constructed short solo. Then there is her heartfelt hope that we all come together on "World Full of Love," with just her piano, Young's organ and Schermer's acoustic guitar providing the effective, austere backing.

A boisterous zydeco-inspired rendition of Jesse Winchester's "Take a Little Louisiana," with Romero channeling Buckwheat Zydeco on accordion, is the finale of this Ball recording. This superb recording is full of first-rate material and splendidly sung and played music, that one has come to expect from Marcia Ball.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records. Here is a live studio session to promote "Shine Bright."