Page 37 - BiTS_11_NOVEMBER_2020

Vanessa Collier - Heart on the Line - Independent

(www.vanessacollier.com)

Vanessa Collier is sometimes compared to Bonnie Raitt, with
critics commenting on the similarity of their vocals. Don’t expect
the guitar work though - Vanessa is actually a sax player, which

certainly adds a different angle. She also spent nearly two years
working with Joe Louis Walker and toured across Europe with
Ruf’s “Blues Caravan” package in 2017.

So, don’t expect a blues-rock set then. What we do get is a skilful
and thoroughly enjoyable blend of blues and soul - and funk, listen to the huge-sounding cover of
Randy Newman’s ‘Leave Your Hat On’. The set’s other two borrowed selections are the opener,

James Brown’s ‘Superbad’—as funky as you’d expect—and a delicate tune from Bonnie Raitt’s
repertoire, ‘I Don’t Want Anything To Change’, with its hints of Americana. The personal statement
of ‘Take A Chance On Me’ does maybe fall into that blues-rock category though—certainly it has
nothing to do with Abba!

Each track here is quite distinct and individual, though all drawing on blues or soul music. For the
blues pure and simple, take a listen to the slide guitar (played by Vanessa herself) driven,
acoustic-based and slightly Wolf-ish ‘Bloodhound’ or the stupendous West-side Chicago styled
‘Weep And Moan’ (Laura Chavez excellent in full Otis Rush/ Magic Sam mode) but better still, just
keep your ears open to everything.

Norman Darwen

Kurt Allen - Whiskey, Women & Trouble - Independent
(www.kurtallenmusic.com)

Right from the front sleeve - a rather pleased looking Kurt in a

bar flanked by two lovely ladies - it is apparent that this is an
old-skool blues and blues-rock release. Based in Kansas City, and
backed by a tight little band (including some excellent horn-
playing} Kurt has a no nonsense style that ranges from the
heavy, riff driven blues-rock of the opening ‘Graveyard Blues’
with its lived-in vocals and fine slide guitar break to the out-and-

out rocking closer, ‘Sweet T’.

In between these two you’ll encounter the likes of the rather traditional and slightly menacing
‘Watch Yo Step’, the slow blues ‘How Long’ (with its faint echoes of vintage Led Zeppelin), the
homage to soul food that is the aptly-titled ‘Funkalicious’ (think Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’, or
maybe Jeff Beck’s cover). Then there is also the sweet soul of ‘Count On Me’ to show some fine

vocals, a New Orleans-ish ‘Voodoo Queen’ and the original composition, ‘Roadrunner’, which does
however show its inspiration in Bo Diddley’s similarly named tune.