Rory Block Prove it On Me

Rory Block
Prove it On Me
Stony Plain

"Prove it On Me" is the second in Rory Block's series, "Power Women of the Blues," dedicated to "celebrating phenomenal founding women of the blues." Through multi-tracking, Block plays all the guitars, drums, and percussion. She also handles all the vocals, including backing and harmony. This writer was not overly impressed by her earlier album in this series, her tribute to Bessie Smith. I can appreciate her effort to not reshape the songs from the source recordings. Her vocals, to these rears, did not sound convincing, and there have been more substantial tributes to Smith over the years.

Unlike the previous album, she interprets recordings from Helen Humes, Madlyn Davis, Rosetta Howard, Ma Rainey, Arizona Dranes, Lottie Kimbrough, Memphis Minnie, Merline Johnson, and Elvie Thomas, as well as sings one original. The performances are generally performed as small band recordings as she layers in guitars over percussion. She evokes a piano in her playing behind her acoustic shuffle version of Humes' "He May Be Your Man." Block adds slide guitar in the accompaniment On Madlyn Davis' "It's Red Hot." One of the most appealing selections is a cover of "If You're a Viper" by Rosetta Howard and the Harlem Hamfats. Her performance sports slide guitar instead of the New Orleans horns meet the Chicago blues of the original. One error in the songwriting credits is that it is Herbert Morand, not Moren among the composers of this song.

There is a credible rendition of the Ma Rainey song that provides the CD its title followed by a spirited take on Arizona Dranes' "I Shall Wear a Crown." Block's original, "Eagles," musically fits in seamlessly with the classic songs heard here, including a lovely Delta blues-infused performance of Lottie Kimbrough's "Wayward Girl Blues." Memphis Minnie's "In My Girlish Days," might have been better served by restraint in her vocal and fingerstyle guitar in the lead as opposed to slide guitar, but that may be a matter of taste.

After singing Merline Johnson's bawdy "Milk Man," Block closes this recording with a beguiling, low-key interpretation of Elvie Thomas' "Motherless Child." As indicated, this writer is not a fan of Block's vocals. I did find her vocals here better than on some other of her recent recordings. One's reaction to her vocals is likely to impact how one views this recording. One cannot question the craftsmanship and imagination she brings to these renditions to the vintage blue songs.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Rory Block performs "He May Be Your Man."