Vanessa Collier Honey Up

Vanessa Collier
Honey Up
Phenix Fire Records

After having her second album on Ruf, Vanessa Collier's latest is a crowd-funded, self-produced CD. The Berklee graduate (with degrees in Performance and Music Production & Engineering) is a threat as a singer, songwriter (she wrote 9 of the ten songs on this) multi-instrumentalist (playing various saxophones as well as guitar on this) and arranger. She has recruited quite a group of musicians for this including Nick Stevens on drums and percussion, Nick Trautmann on bass, Sparky Parker on guitar for several tracks, William Gorman on keyboards, Laura Chavez on guitar (8 of the ten tracks), Quinn Carson on trombone (5 tracks) and Doug Woolverton on trumpet (5 tracks).

Her website notes that she "weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance," and that is quite evident on the varied musical program here which includes songs ranging from the opening New Orleans flavored "Sweatin' Like A Pig, Singin' Like An Angel," as she shouts about singing in the Southland. Vocally, she impresses with her presence while Laura Chavez blasts a some hot West Coast blues guitar prior to Collier taking a funky tenor sax solo in a King Curtis vein, and then trades fours with Woolverton. It isn't simply the performance of her and the core band, but her arrangement of the horns and the production, all of which is first-rate on this party track. There is more of a party mood on "Don't Nobody Got Time To Waste," with the brassy horns riffing in support set against a jubilant gospel-rooted groove. Gorman is very greasy on the organ while her sax soars against the rest of the band.

The title track is a funky song where she sings about being held up in her relationship and another who wants her to "honey up and kiss his behind." She takes a punchy sax solo while Gorman takes a keyboard solo set against Stevens' driving drumming. "Percolatin'" is a funky instrumental that showcases her funky R&B sax playing. Bassist Trautmann is spotlighted here as well. One of the most interesting, and enjoyable songs here is "Icarus," an imaginative telling of the Greek mythological figure. She plays acoustic guitar (providing an effective sparse backing) behind her melodious singing and a strong short saxophone solo. It is a change of pace from some of the more hard-hitting songs, including "The Fault Line," with more searing guitar from Laura Chavez. There is the effective employment of resonator guitars by Collier and Parker, along with Chavez's focused fretwork on "Bless Your Heart." For variety, there is a touch of country in her vocal on the horn-driven shuffle, "You're a Pill." Again Chavez shines while Collier's booting solo helps ride this track out. "Making lemonade out of lime can get a little crazy… " opens up the New Orleans-Ray Charles flavor on "You Get What You Get."

The album closes with a nice rendition of Chris Smithers' "Love Me Like a Man," that opens as a duet with just Parker's backing before the full band joins in to add punch behind her heartfelt singing and saxophone solo. As a matter of taste, there are a couple songs that I might have preferred a slightly slower tempo or a tad lighter touch on the drums, but I am again impressed by Collier as a singer, saxophonist, songwriter, and a producer. "Honey Do" is a striking recording that will have strong appeal to many.

I received my review copy from a publicist. I have made stylistic changes to the review that originally appeared in the September-October 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 380). Here she performs "Sweatin' Like A Pig, Singin' Like An Angel."

Mary Jo Curry Impresses

Mary Jo Curry
Guitar Angel Records

A veteran of touring theater companies, Mary Jo Curry discovered a love for the blues five years ago. Now she has an eponymously titled debut album produced by James Armstrong comprised of four originals and five covers. Curry wrote two of the originals and her husband Michael Rapier wrote two as well as shares guitar duties with Armstrong. Others on the album are bassists Darryl Wright and Lawrence Baulden, drummer Andrew Blaze Thomas, keyboardist Brett Donovan, a horn section of Dick Garretson (trumpet), Mike Gillette (sax) and Larry Niehaus (trombone) and backing vocals from L.A. Davison.

Curry impresses as a singer throughout this nicely produced straight-ahead set of blues. Her pitch, her phrasing and dynamics underlie her very expressive and soulful vocals. The backing is also very nice, handling a nice range of material from the opening Curry original jump-blues shuffle, "Ooooo Weeee," where she celebrates her wrong-doing man having left and she is finally free to Rapier's closing, funky "Smellin'," where she confronts her cheating man who is smelling like sex again with nice slide guitar from him as well. Themes of relationships in trouble are also present on Rapier's "Husband #2," an urban blues with some solid guitar (thinking it may be Armstrong taking lead here) and riffing horns, as she advises watch one says and do, as she is looking for Husband #2.

Covers include a nice rendition of Junior Wells' "Little By Little," as well Koko Taylor's "Voodoo Woman," although she doesn't quite match Koko's original (which few could reach in any event). "When a Woman's Had Enough"  originally recorded by Bettye Lavette and later by Shemekia Copeland, on which Curry produces a fine vocal that perhaps best displays her vocal range on thismarvelous song. Not previously having heard of Mary Jo Curry, this listener were delighted by this solid debut. Kudos to James Armstrong for the tight, uncluttered production and to the musicians who played on this fine recording.
I received my review copy from a publicist.Here is a clip of her performing in public.

Zora Young & Little Mike and the Tornadoes - Friday Night

"Friday Night," (Elrob Records), a new release by Zora Young & Little Mike and the Tornadoes, brings back memories of seeing the likes of Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin backed by Little Mike and the Tornadoes at Twist & Shout in Bethesda, Maryland, and recordings the Tornadoes made backing them. In this same role, they back Zora Young, a solid Chicago blues chanteuse whose husky, smokey vocals go down like a smooth scotch on the rocks. This is blues with kick. On this date are Little Mike Markowitz along with his long-time partners, guitarist Tony O. Melio, bassist Brad Vickers and drummer Robert Piazza. Kim McKaba is on keyboards. Several originals from Markowitz and Tony O are mixed with covers of recordings by Howlin' Wolf, Big Joe Turner, Otis Spann and Lucille Spann, and Bonnie Lee.

Horns are added to originals like the title track from Little Mike and the opening "I've Been a Fool Too Long," and provide additional punch behind Zora's moaning vocal style. Certainly she places her stamp on Tony O's "I Love Chicago" as she belts out about her singing the blues and Chicago being both home and the home of the blues. Her vocal here is supported by the Tornadoes driving accompaniment. Wolf's "44 Blues" is nicely covered, but better is her soul-drenched rendition of Big Joe Turner's hit, "Chains of Blues." On a very enjoyable recording, a highpoint might be the wonderful rendition of Otis Spann-Lucille Spann's "Country Girl," with strong playing from McKaba, Little Mike and Tony O (evoking Sam Lawhorn on this track)." Riffing horns and Mike's harmonica add punch behind a fervent cover of Bonnie Lee's "I'm Good."

Young, Mike and Tony O sit out the closing "Spann's Boogie," which is a driving instrumental for pianist McKaba who is ably supported by Vickers and Piazza. It is a solid performance although odd for an album showcasing Zora Young's blues vocals. Throughout there is fine, idiomatic playing from Little Mike and the Tornadoes. Zora Young has not exactly been recorded extensively, so a new recording by her is welcome, especially when she sounds so fine, as she does here.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Zora Young singing at the Lucerne Blues Festival backed by Bob Margolin, Bob Stroger and Kenny Smith.