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by the backing singers – and a huge-sounding production. Masterful…

Norman Darwen

Mizz Lowe—Classy Woman—Mizz Lowe
(www.mizzlowe.com)

Mizz Lowe opens her debut album with ‘Honey Tree’, a
contemporary blues with deep roots, based on Slim Harpo’s ‘I’m
A King Bee’, but with an urban contemporary tinge and Bobby
Rush supplying wailing blues harp. It is an impressive
performance, a strong blend of old and new.

Mizz Lowe was one of Bobby Rush’s dancers - “The Young Hen”
– who then became his opening act, and now he helps her out

on this set, mainly on harmonica though his readily identifiable
vocals also crop up in places. The lyrics may reflect many of the concerns of much southern
soul and the backing might be sophisticated (by blues standards anyway) but it is undeniably
Mizz Lowe’s own form of blues, the music she grew up with.

Track titles like ‘Hip Shakin Woman’ (sic) and ‘Easy Baby’ are not quite what you expect; the
former is soul with a tinge of rap, but the blues is definitely in there, and the latter is certainly
based on Magic Sam’s number but much sultrier and riding a much looser groove than any
other version I have heard. ‘Drink Drink’ is also a strong blues with hints of Junior Wells, and
Bobby’s harmonica playing recalls Rice Miller on the romping vocal duet, ‘Take My Love’, which
also has echoes of Muddy Waters – though maybe not musically.

‘This Love’ is a sophisticated, smooth soul ballad, a different side to Mizz Lowe, as is the gentle
gospel-flavoured ballad, ‘4 Leaf Clover’. The album closes with the fine seasonal blues of
‘Christmas Tears’, related to Freddy King’s song of the same name.

In short, this is indeed a classy performance by a classy woman.

Norman Darwen

Willie J. Laws Jr.—Too Much Blues—Pilot Light Records
(www.williejlawsband.com)

Wow – take a listen to the opening track, ‘Regl’ Ol’ Blues’, with
its fine BB King styled guitar, moaning horns, excellent lyrics
and best of all a strong, authentic vocal – it’s a straight-ahead
blues. Singer and guitarist Willie J. is known as “the last prophet

of the funky Texas Blues”, but here he turns in a classic, very
much in the vein of 50s BB King.

Mentored by Phillip Walker and formerly with Los Texmaniacs
(who recorded for Smithsonian- Folkways), Willie stretches his net a little wider as the album
progresses. There are elements of R’n’B in a seventies style – a little akin to some of Bobby
Bland’s numbers from that time – on ‘Better Off Blue’, and with guitar work that is similar to
BB’s from that era too. The vocal is of course exemplary. The same kind of comments apply to
‘Stuck In Traffic’, though it has a funkier edge.