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Sister Lucille—Tell The World—Blue Heart Records BHR038

This, is the new album from SL, their previous album “Alive”, was

released in 2019 and in 2020, they were awarded the Blues Blast
Award for Best Debut CD. Originally from Southwest Missouri,
their music focuses upon the musical heritage of Memphis but,
with their own particular twist and their distinctive fashioning of

the music from the area, SL describe it as “Memphunk”. The band
are: Kimberly Dill; Lead Vocals (she made her own musical debut
at the Opry at the Ryman Theatre as a teenager and opened for

country singer Kitty Wells), Jamie Holdren; Guitar & Vocals, Kevin
Lyons; Drums & Percussion and Reed Herron on Bass, with Chris Stephenson on B3 and key-
boards, the horn section consists of; Peter Climie on saxophone, Will Paladino trumpet and
Freedman Steorts on trombone.

The album was recorded at the High/Low studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Of the ten numbers
here, three are covers firstly, Reba Russell’s ‘Why Not You’, on this number, Reba duets, with
Kimberly (Reba, also provides all the backing vocals on the album). The second number is

‘Ready for the Times to Get Better’, which was originally recorded by Crystal Gayle in 1976 and
thirdly Sugar Pie De Santos’ ‘Soulful Dress’, recorded in 1964 for The Chess Label. The music
begins with ‘Tell The World’, fast, thumping drum work is conjoined with a punching ecstatic

wah, wah, guitar that rides over a burning organ courtesy of Al Gamble and fiery rising horns,
above all this, Kimberly powerfully and succinctly states that her true love has been found. A
serious change of mood is evident on the sombre ‘Every Time I Leave’, for here Kimberly
profoundly expresses her sorrow upon each time she leaves her lover, the deep and melancholy

guitar work can but only agree.

On ‘Breakin’ My Heart’, Jamie Holdren takes to the microphone providing a joyful, almost poppy
vocal to the funky, punchy, urban strutter. ‘Why Not You’, is as mentioned previously, a raucous

duet that has an intense hammer down percussion, accompanied by a fiery, fast driven slide.
Now, on the salaciously loquacious dreamy slow blues of ‘Lucille’, Kimberly, is actually singing
the praises of B.B.King’s Gibson ES-330 guitar and not an amorous lady. ‘Montezuma Red’, was

a bright red lipstick, developed in the U.S.A. in 1941, to match the red piping on women’s
military uniforms of that era and on this enjoyably funkin’, strutting and prowling number,
Kimberly forcefully and emphatically states that this colour is not an indication of cheapness
but, power! The gently rolling ‘Ready for the Times to Get Better’, is satisfyingly settled in a

country blues feeling and ‘Soulful Dress’, is nothing less than a seriously, loose limbed horn
blasting floor duster.

Highly commended!

Brian Harman.