Etta Britt Does Delbert

Nashville singer Etta Britt may be familiar to some through her association with Delbert McClinton, but her musical career goes back quite a bit as she toured as part of the CMA nominated vocal trio Dave & Sugar. While she put her musical career on the back-burner while raising a family, her dreams of a solo career were reignited when signing a record deal when she was in her early fifties, resulting in an album Out of the Shadows, and touring with Delbert and Paul Thorn. She has a follow-up recording produced by her husband Bob Britt, Etta Does Delbert (Brittunes Music) that is a mix of honky tonk, southern soul, rock and roll with a dash of blues. In order words it is some honky tonking rock and roll in the vein of Delbert and others.

She is backed by a band of her husband on guitar, Kevin McKendree on keyboards, Steve MacKay bass, Lynn Williams drums and Dana Robbins on sax with background vocals from her husband, the McCrary Sisters, and others. The strong mostly come from Delbert's songbook, and the performances are first rate. She is a terrific singer whether delivering the rock and roll of Somebody To Love Me and the southern soul of You Were Never Mine. This latter number evokes the classic Memphis soul of James Carr and Goldwax records. Another superb vocal is her interpretation of Bobby Charles' classic The Jealous Kind. There are also two duets with McClinton, Boy You Better Move On and the rollicking Best of Me.

Bob Britt's short guitar breaks and McKendree's piano are additional musical ingredients on these terrific performances while the rhythm lays down a relaxed solid groove throughout. The album closes with an original she wrote with McKendree, the strutting When I Was With You, which again displays the gritty, textured and nuanced singing that makes Etta Does Delbert such a marvelous recording that should appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here she sings a duet with Delbert.