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Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps—Rose Coloured Glasses
Vol. 1—Blue Heart Records BHR-015

As with so many albums released recently Teresa, her band and

guests were forced by the corona virus to record their
contributions to this project in various studios and homes all
across California, over an eighteen month period. The nucleus of
the band is; Teresa on lead vocals, piano and Wurlitzer, (Her
husband) Terry Wilson; bass, vocals, song writing and production
duties, with, Billy Watts; guitars, vocals, Jay Bellerose and Herman
Mathews on drums and percussion, Kevin McKendree; B3 and

piano, with Darrell Leonard and Paulie Cerra providing horns. The 12 original numbers here are
liberally infused with a laid back West coast, mid 70’s feel and are underscored with an
undercurrent of quiet hope in adversity.

On the sultry opener ‘Show Me How You Do It’, Teresa splendidly displays her sensuously delicate
and enticing southern vocals while the treacly-sweet, clinging guitar behind her is supported by a
singeing B3 and gentle, purring horns. The easygoing, romantically swinging horn-led ‘Takes One

To Know One’, has a crisply engaging lead guitar and solo courtesy of Anson Funderburgh.

‘Rose Coloured Glasses’ is swamped in a pleasing smouldering mass of low sweet horns and gently
burning organ, over which Teresa declares her intentions to her bespectacled love. The slow,
enticingly smouldering ‘All You Ever Bring Me Is The Blues’, conjures up a classic late-night dive
complete with sweetly trailing, tragic horns and delicate sweeping brushwork over which Teresa
achingly explains her pain. The splendid country inflected ballad ‘When My Baby Comes Home’, is

led by a wistfully hopeful piano and strings that have Teresa laying bare her hopes and dreams for
the future. The infectious ‘Rise Together’, combines rising horns, a slowly sizzling organ with a
fruity, picked guitar over which Teresa encourages us all not to give up. The rousing, stomping
drums, guitars and horns of ‘Gimme Me Some Skin ’ sees Teresa exhorting the benefits of faith, love
and forgiveness to all.

Most impressive!

Brian Harman.

Elly Wininger—The Blues Never End—Earwig Records

Ms Wininger is a contemporary-blues phenomenon. She comes
from a wealth of experience and exposure to all kinds of music, but
as she told me seems now to have settled into and old-timey/blues
mode. She is not, however, a revivalist, trying as many do to

slavishly copy the greats of the past. No! Elly brings new life to
old material by rearranging and adapting masterworks of the past
to her own style and delivery.

This excellent CD sees music by the likes of Skip James, Geechie
Wiliey, Huddie Leadbetter and a smattering of her own songs,
delivered with exemplary guitar playing and with a powerful yet sensitive voice. The years of public

performance make for an accomplished ‘presence’ in her delivery that makes me want to see her
live. I bet its a ‘hairs on the back of the neck’ experience.