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rip through Muddy’s ‘Forty Days and Forty Nights’ with more excellent harp from
Marriner and rolling Otis Spann-style piano. ‘Invisible Blue’ is a subdued ballad
and ‘Blue Funk’ is a funky work out for the band featuring bass player Bruce Dixon.
The album is finished off by another version of ‘Gin House Blues’ but this time just
featuring Wayne and Bill Stephenson on piano - so referencing the Nina Simone
version – I must admit I preferred the full band version. In fact, I thought that the
other full band songs worked better that the more subtle songs with Wayne’s voice
seeming more at home yelling out the vocals.
Graham Harrison
Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival—Gypsy Soul—
J&R Collective
Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jennifer
moved to New York City and then to Worcester, Massa-
chusetts. Now, she and TGR currently reside in North
Dakota. Her musical education began as a child at home
hearing traditional country, folk, and gospel music. In
her grandparent’s home she would also hear the music
of such diverse artists as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles
and Merle Haggard, on (what seemed to her) their very
large radio. This five track E.P. follows on from her two previous albums “I’m All
Wrong for You Baby”, released in October 2016 and her second album “Badlands”
released in February 2018.
The original compositions here are from Jennifer and band mate Richard Torrance,
they also share the production duties. The band are; Jennifer; lead vocals and
guitar, Richard Torrance; lead vocals and guitar, Barb Jiskra; keyboards, Chris
Addison; bass and Jim Anderson, provides the drum work. The opener is ‘Gypsy
Soul’, a toe tapping mixture of grooving Chicago Blues with a dash of stinging
guitar, underpinned by an enjoyably enticing rolling piano, while, Jennifer’s full-
bodied confident vocals entice you in. ‘Low Down Dirty Shame’, is an infectious,
low, slow, funky roller on the downside of a doomed romance with punchy drum
work and a pleasantly ringing guitar in the background. ‘Going Round In Circles’, is
an emotion filled, slow blues on the subject of mistreatment and indifference, the
soul infused, reverb drenched guitar is very attractive while Jennifer’s stridently
pain-filled vocals command your attention. ‘Give Me All Your Lovin’’, is quite sim-
ply, a heads down party blaster with an underpinning driving guitar and jumping,
rolling piano, above it all, is Jennifer’s energetically urging vocals. ‘You Can Take It
All’, has hints of Southern rock in its mellifluous, mellow rolling feel, emanating
from the gently calming dual guitar work, that draws you in, the sympathetic
indifference of Jennifer’s vocal says it all.
Recommended!
Brian Harman.