Irma Thomas' The Story of My Life

In addition to posting current reviews of recordings, you know I also post reviews I have written for publications for five and more years ago. Today’s review is from 15 years ago and appeared in the April 1997 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 220 and likely was also published in the DC Blues Calendar which I edited for the DC Blues Society for nearly 20 years. I noted that I have not posted any of my Irma Thomas reviews, so this is in part to rectify that. Irma’s recording career has slowed down in recent years but the Soul Queen of New Orleans remains a national treasure.  For her seventh album for the Rounder label, The Story of My Life, Irma Thomas is backed by a stunning band of Crescent City stalwarts - bassist George Porter, drummer Raymond Weber, and pianist David Torkanowsky, along with guitarist Michael Toles plus horns and backing vocal choruses on several selections. Scott Billington who produced this one with Thomas, arranged for the songwriting team of Dan Penn, Jonnie Barnett and Carson Whitsett to contribute some songs, and there is new (or at least unfamiliar) material from Dawn Thomas, Sarah Brown and Lisa Mednick, and Allen Toussaint before Thomas closes with a very strong reading of Aretha’s recording of Dr. Feelgood. The album has its share of Crescent City grooves on the opening funked up blues, No Use Talking, and the second line rhythm underlying her boost of independence, I Won’t Cry For You (from the afore-mentioned trio of Penn, Barnett and Whitsett). Dawn Thomas’ song, which gives the album its title, is a more straight-forward modern R&B ballad, while Love Don’t Get No Better Than This is an uptempo celebration of romance that Thomas delivers with an assurance that her decades of performing have given her. This is also evident on her soulful delivery of the mournful Hold Me While I Cry, which has a tasty tenor sax break from Charles Elam III, who also duets her on the ballad Get Here. The liner notes speak about Thomas’ frustration with being treated as a oldies act due to her classic songs from the early sixties, but this is simply the latest Rounder recording that illustrates just how wonderful a vocalist she is, and the mix of blues, New Orleans, soul and some pop elements make for a most delicious musical stew. I likely received a review copy from Rounder back in 1997. This should still be relatively easy to find. While not from this album, here is Irma singing one of the songs she is known for, even if many more know the Rolling Stones version.

John Mooney's Big Ol' Fiya

The following review appeared in the December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 289) and oddly my comment opening this review still holds true as its been Mooney’s last release and its been over four years since this was released. I picked it one of the outstanding releases of 2006 and is still available (although perhaps easier to download than find a physical copy).

Its been four years since John Mooney had a new album out Big Ol’ Fiya, and he has produced his latest on LML Records (Live Music Lives), which should satisfy fans of his unique musical gumbo of Son House-influenced delta blues with Crescent City grooves.


This album also includes the keyboards of Jon Cleary along with the bass of the late Jeff Sarli, percussionist Alfred ‘Uganda’ Roberts and drummer Raymond Webber although Bernard ‘Bunche’ Johnson is on two tracks and engineer Mark Bingham picks up the bass for one track. Opening with a hot groove on 2 Get 2 Heaven, the band kicks into high gear as Mooney sings “I didn’t come here, to preach & pray; I ain’t here to soothe you; ‘Cause you works all day; I ain’t here, tokiss & tell; I’m just tryin’ to getta out this hell.” as Mooney adds some driving, crying slide. The title track follows as thetempo slows a bit with Cleary on organ as Mooney adds some nice slide runs with a lyric about what was love at first sight and how she is on his mind all day long but she left him and broke his heart. Voice and slide are in harmony as Mooney starts Dig My Way 2 China, how his woman left him so low heis digging his way down to China.


Few attempt to rework Son House songs, but Mooney’s interpretations carry an authority that in part reflect what he learned directly from the archetypal blues legend. Here he provides us a strong small band rendition of House’s Louis McGhee, with Sarli, Roberts and Webber providing the strong complimentary backing for Mooney. A Mooney original, Do You Love Me, is another strong performance rooted in the delta blues of House and his friend Willie Brown.


The remainder is in a similar vein and is a most welcome addition to Mooney’s strong discography. For more information can check Mooney’s website, www.johnmooneylive.com which will link you to www.cdbaby.com which is where your reviewer obtained this strong release.