Teeny Tucker Voodoo to Do You

Teeny Tucker is the daughter of a blues legend. Her father was Tommy Tucker of Hi-Heel Sneakers fame, although he passed away in 1982, long before Teeny started singing professionally. While growing up singing in church choirs, in the past two decades she has become one of the finest vocalists in the blues world, possessing a forceful and expressive voice that exhibits not simply her power as a singer, but her phrasing, vocal dynamics and controlled pitch.

Teeny Tucker's most recent album, Voodoo to Do You, is a strong collection of performances that includes her renditions of songs associated with Koko Taylor - Voodoo Woman, Howlin’ Wolf - Commit a Crime, and Christine Kittrell -a marvelous rendition of Lieber & Stoller’s I’m a Woman (many know this from Peggy Lee, but Kittrell first recorded this). In addition to Voodoo Woman, several songs (but not all) have a voodoo theme, including Love Spell, and Is Your Voodoo Workin’. Listening to her, one hears a wide range of influences including such legendary figures as Koko Taylor, Christine Kittrell, Lavern Baker and Big Maybelle, but like them she has developed into her own compelling sound.

The album also includes strong acoustic performances of Skip James’ Hard Time Killing Floor Blues and Rev. Gary Davis’ Death Have No Mercy. Both are wonderfully sung and enhanced by the playing of guitarist Robert Hughes. A final bonus track was recorded at the legendary Sun  Studios. This marvelous recording can be purchased from her at her performances or on cdbaby.com where I purchased it. Her website is teenytucker.com.

Teeny Tucker headlines the Tinner Hill Blues Festival on Saturday June 14, 2014. She will be doing a presentation on women in the blues that morning at 10AM and will be performing at around 7:15PM. For  more information on the Tiinner Hill Blues Festival, visit http://tinnerhill.org/blues-festival. To read my  preview of the Festival from April see http://inabluemood.blogspot.com/2014/04/21st-tinner-hill-blues-festival-june-13.html.

Here is Teeny in performance at the 2012 Pennsylvania Blues Festival singing "Voodoo Woman."