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Then it’s back to jazz with ‘Remembering Babs’, a swinging tribute to jazz vocalist Babs Gonzales,
and also the closing jazz standard ‘I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You)’. However, ‘Stranded’ is a
blues with more great guitar from Charlie and ‘Spaniard of the Backyard’ is a bluesy instrumental
featuring Quique on hamonica as well as a guitar solo from Charlie. This album highlights the
versatility of the musicians involved, switching from blues to jazz and back again but for me
personally there was a bit too much jazz.

Graham Harrison
Kyshona Armstrong—Legacy—Soundly Music

Kyshona Armstrong is from Carolina but now lives in Nashville
and combines her career as a singer with working as a music
therapist with both children and senior citizens. This is her first
album in four years and while I couldn’t say that it’s strictly blues
it does combine elements of blues, gospel, R&B and rock – similar
to Ruthie Foster’s work. Opener ‘Elephants’ reminded me of U2(!)
with its subdued groove and Kyshona’s beautiful voice floating
over the top, ‘Echo’ carries on in the same vein but ‘Waitin’ on the
Lawd’ is a real bluesy gospel banger with Ruthie Foster and
Odessa Settles helping out on vocals and Chris Pierce on
harmonica, bringing to mind classic Staples Singers. ‘Whispers
in the Walls’ is blues-rock with organ and keening lead guitar,
while ‘Alma Rae’ is more acoustic and ‘Heaven is a Beautiful Place’ and ‘What’s in a Name’ are
more Staples-like stirring gospel.

‘Where My Mind Goes’ is moody and atmospheric but ‘Comin’ Out Swingin’’ is a bold statement
song “I ain’t throwing that towel in, When things go wrong I just can’t quit, If I have one less shot
left to win, I’m placing that bet on me” with powerful backing and backup vocals to enforce the
message. Keb’ Mo’ comes by to add some blues guitar to ‘Carolina’, while ‘Where I Started From’
is a swinging soul ballad with great brass and more memories of Kyshona’s childhood in Carolina.
Finally, ‘Covered’ is a lovely melodic acoustic song with the beauty of Kyshona’s voice matched
by the atmospheric backing of phased lead guitar and strings. I’d never heard of Kyshona
Armstrong before but I was very impressed by this album, she has a wonderful voice that has
power but also great subtlety, she writes interesting songs and the production and backing here
are also excellent – definitely modern but with nods to the past.

Graham Harrison
Lizz Wright—Shadow—Virgin Music ASIN :B0CP8QG9TM

Lizz Wright is another artist hard to categorise, normally classed
as a jazz vocalist she is much more than that, taking on soul, blues,
folk etc. but one thing that isn’t in doubt is that she has an
absolutely wonderful alto voice – deep, rich and sultry. Listen to
her on the atmospheric opening title track where her voice is at
the centre with the backing weaving around it until she is
eventually joined in a duet with Angelique Kidjo, while “Your
Love’ is laid-back funk with Meshell Ndegeocello on bass. ‘Root
of Mercy’ is beautiful with Lizz’s voice a soothing presence and
then ‘Sweet Feeling’ is one of the album’s highlights a bluesy,
loping song written by soul legends Candi Staton and Clarence
Carter. ‘This Way’ is a stunning ballad again dominated by that singular voice and ‘Lost in the
Valley’ sounds like a conventional folk song but Arun Ranamurthy’s Carnatic violin adds a very
Indian influence sounding like a sitar at times.

The only straight jazz song here is Cole Porter’s ‘I Concentrate On You’ but here Lizz is
accompanied by a classical string quartet. ‘Circling’ is a light, floaty ballad with the core band of