2019 – Endless Blues Records
By Phillip Smith; Feb. 8, 2020
Hot and seductive vocals from Kim Dill coupled with gobs of dynamic guitar from her husband Jamie Holdren fuel Alive, the debut album from Springfield, Missouri’s Sister Lucille. They sound great together as their voices blend in southern-style harmony. The other half of the band is comprised of a fantastic rhythm section featuring drummer Kevin Lyons, and bassist Eric Guinn. Alive, produced by Holdren, and mixed by Grammy Award winner Jim Scott who produced Tedeschi Trucks’ Revelator album, makes for one hell of a bluesy listen.
Holdren pours out a cool funky groove on “Won’t Give It” as the soulful keys from Chris Stephenson on a Hammond B, join with attacks of brass from saxophonist Peter Climie, trumpeter Jared Dover , and trombonist Andrew Earle. It sounds great. I love the swampy, delta blues style slide Holdren dishes out on “See My Baby”. For a nice big helping of blues at its authentic best, “Respect Your Woman” features Eric Hughes, a Memphis blues artist who I hold high regard for, making a guest appearance on harmonica. It’s always a delight to hear him play.
I adore the Stax vibe hanging out in “Wanna Love You”. Dill sings this infectious tune with sexy persuasion as Holdren absolutely rips it up on guitar. The Stax vibe keeps trucking on as they cover “99 Pounds”, a song written by Don Bryant, and originally recorded by his wife Ann Peebles. This one is a big-time favorite indeed and it’s songs like this which I fall head over heels for. Etta James’ “W.O.M.A.N”, the other cover song on this record is a splendid showcase for Dill as she pours everything into her performance of this wonderful classic.
Sister Lucille serves up a marvelous mix of blues, rock, and soul with Alive. I certainly hope we hear more from them in the near future.
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For more information about the artist, visit this website: www.sisterlucilleband.com
