New Southern Vintage, the latest album from St-Louis based
singer/songwriter/producer Candice Ivory is quite an incredible
recording. The original tracks written by her and guitarist Robert Allen
Parker are strong and riveting. Dubbed
the Queen of Avant Soul, Ivory certainly has made quite the impression
on me with her silky, soulful vocals. For this recording, she is backed by the Blue
Bloods comprised of Parker and Adam Hill on guitars, Khari
Wynn on bass, and Donnon R. Johnson on drums. Ivory also
enlists an impressive group of guest artists to record with: Jan Hartmann
on harmonica, Ben Levin on piano, Yubu Kazungu on vocals, Chris
Stephenson on organs, Antonia Vergara on guitars/vocals, Jimmy “Duck”
Holmes on guitar/vocals, Damian “Yella P” Pearson on guitar/harmonica,
David Evans on guitar, Takuto Asano on guitar, and Andy Cohen
on guitar.
Ivory ushers the album in with a song of deceit and unfaithfulness “Ain’t So Blind”, featuring a hard-driving John Lee Hooker-inspired rhythm, smokin’ harp, and delectable vocals. It’s a great track, and it pulls me right into the record. “Blue Blood” keeps the blues rolling in a stylin’ and infectious way. Her cover of The Fieldstones’ “I’m in Trouble” off the Memphis Blues Today album is a wonderful tribute to her great uncle Will Roy Sanders, a highly respected Memphis bluesman who fronted the band for around twenty years from the Seventies up to the Nineties. “Foolish Pleasure” brings Yubu Kazungu in for a mesmerizing duet. It’s an absolutely beautiful song. The rhythmic sound of North Mississippi hill-country blues lures me in to “Strong Black Mattie”. The dual-guitars and sounds of B-3 walk the tightrope between hypnotic and psychedelic, and I love every bit of it. I dig the Allman Brothers vibe Parker pours over “Look Away” (note : Parker’s admiration for Duane Allman was the inspiration for his instrumental “Skydog” which appeared on his album The River’s Invitation). With guitar in hand, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes shares the microphone with Ivory for some “Catfish Blues”. Hearing this collaboration really puts a smile on my face. I’ve had the blessing of seeming Holmes perform on a couple of my visits to Clarksdale, Mississippi for the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Fest. He’s a treasure indeed. Yella P, Asano, and Levin are all guests on Ivory’s “Crown Royal Bag Blues”. This nostalgic, slow-tempo song about drinking the blues away is an instant classic for sure. Ivory closes out the album with a pair of Memphis Minnie covers: “World of Trouble” and “Shout the Boogie”. Levon plays these piano-centric songs with excellence as Ivory pays a most respectable homage to the legendary artist.
With every listen to Candice Ivory's New Southern Vintage, I find something new and exciting that catches my attention. The record is a gem with many facets.
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For more info on Candice
Ivory visit the website at https://newsouthernvintage.com/
Available on Bandcamp
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