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Brigitte Purdy—Stylin’—Independent (Single)

(www.brigittepurdy.net)

Born and raised in Los Angeles, singer/ songwriter and producer

Brigitte has featured in these pages before. This digital single runs
to almost three and a half minutes and is another fine recording, a

big-sounding blues that borrows a little of of its, er, style, from
Jimmy Rogers’ ‘Walkin’ By Myself’, and romps along in glorious
fashion with guitar, harp and organ all having their spell in the

limelight alongside Brigitte’s big, warm, and celebratory voice.
Worth checking out.

Norman Darwen

Fleetwood Mac—Madison Blues—Early Live and Studio Record-
ings—Indigo Igodd003

There have been a lot of releases comprising Fleetwood Mac’s ear-
ly recordings, and this was originally issued in 2003. It is what it

says, but be aware that these early recordings still post-date Peter
Green leaving the band. The huge success of the “Rumours” album
in 1977 was still a long way off, but there are some pointers here

to the radio-friendly adult-oriented rock sound that came to the
fore on that album.

Having said that, there is plenty of blues material here. Christine Perfect sings most of the leads
here, and her soul influences – remember, she was not long from having hit with Chicken Shack’s
cover of Etta James’ ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ at this time - are evident on the slow ‘I’m On My Way’.

Her band is represented too on this set with several tracks that recall Jefferson Airplane’s psyche-
delic California sound with vocalist Grace Slick.

The bulk of the tracks though find Christine fronting the Mac line-up of Danny Kirwan and Jeremy
Spencer on guitars, husband John McVie on bass and Mick Fleetwood on drums. Mention of Spencer

leads me to point out that his slide playing here is far broader than it was in earlier years – take a
listen to the title track, ‘I Can’t Stop Loving Her’ or of course, the live ‘Dust My Broom’. There is an

excellent version too of Son House’s ‘Preaching Blues’, and worthwhile covers of material from Lit-
tle Walter, Bobby Bland and Big Joe Turner. There are some fine blues originals too, such as ‘Don’t
Go, Please Stay’, and even Jeremy Spencer’s little rock and roll vignette.

So, this might not be the band’s classic blues line-up, but there is enough to make it worthwhile. It
also makes that switch to the “Rumours” sound much more understandable…

Norman Darwen