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Trudy Lynn—Golden Girl—Nola Blue ASIN :
B09PXNPVHK

Trudy made her recording debut in 1973 and you can hear all

that experience in every track here on this album that was
recorded in Houston and L.A. with producer Terry Wilson.
The band includes guitarists Anson Funderburgh and Yates
McKendree, Brannen Temple (drums), Kevin McKendree
(keyboards), Darrel Leonard and Mario Calire (horns), Teresa
James (backing vocals), Steve Krase (harmonica) and with
Wilson himself on bass. However, its Trudy's voice that is the
focal point of every track, listen to her savvy, confident
testifying on opener 'Tell Me' and on the title track an easy rolling blues she is cheekily coy as
she acknowledges the ageing process.

'If The Phone Don’t Ring' is a moody blues with nice harp and guitar, while 'Is It Cold In Here'
is a poignant slow blues with brass and backing vocals. On the uptempo 'Trouble With Love'
Funderburgh's guitar and Krase's harp add licks behind Trudy and the 50s-style 'Take Me
Back' is driven by the horns, whereas 'Live With Yourself' is a relaxed rocker. 'Heartache Is A

One Way Street' has a Bo Diddley beat with harp and nice piano from Kevin McKendree and
we sign off with the gorgeous slow blues 'Life Goes On' with Trudy, Anson Funderburgh and
the brass section all excelling themselves. This is an excellent album with the producer, the
band and especially Trudy herself all at the top of their game with an album that blends Texas
blues and Memphis soul — reminiscent of Mr. Bobby 'Blue' Bland.

Graham Harrison

Steve Bailey—Crazy 'bout You: A Tribute To Sonny Boy
Williamson—Another Planet Music ASIN :
B09WHKPBT1

Steve Bailey is from Seattle and learned his blues chops by
playing with visiting blues artists in the 1970s, however this
tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson No.2 (Rice Miller) was
recorded in London with guitarist Mississippi MacDonald and
a band: Texas Joe Brown (drums) and Phil Dearing (piano,
guitar, bass). Steve covers many of SBW’s most famous songs

including ‘Nine Below Zero’, ‘Trust My Baby’, ‘Fattening Frogs
for Snakes’ and ‘Ninety Nine’ and covers them very well with
excellent harp playing.

The band also play well but I felt that there was just something missing. The interpretations
are just a little too close to the originals but also just a bit too clean and precise. Also, I missed
SBW’s vocals.

Many blues artists—BB King, Elmore James, Buddy Guy etc—are often thought of as mainly
instrumentalists but all of them were/are also excellent, distinctive singers like Sonny Boy
himself.

Graham Harrison