2014 – Mono Records
By Phillip Smith;
Jan 17, 2015
Mother Blues
is the name of the debut album from Wichita, Kansas native Rachelle Coba, and an appropriate name it is. This blueswoman writes, sings, and plays lead
guitar. By the way, she does it all
extremely well. Coba is undoubtedly the ‘whole enchilada’. Backing her on this treasure chest full of tunes
is upright bass player David M. Santos,
and drummer Karl T. Himmel.
A favorite track about one of
my favorite cities is “Never Been to Memphis”.
Hearing Coba sing her way down
a list of all the cool Memphis sites, brings back wonderful memories of being
in the Bluff City. Her raspy voice is an
excellent match for her guitar playing.
This bluesy boogie is accompanied by Ray Murry on piano.
“Ain’t Got Time (to Fall in
Love)”, slides in like melted butter, as Coba
belts out the lyrics with a ton of soul, which is then poured over a big
bowlful of tasty little guitar licks.
One of the most beautifully played songs is “Between the Tracks”. Sung soft
and sultry, I absolutely love this ballad.
Coba gets
the blood pumping again on “Chicago” a fun and bouncing ditty, ironically about
high hopes gone bad. “Telephone Song” taps
into the deep well of classic blues, with Ron
Taylor setting the mood with the help of his Hammond organ. Coba’s
guitar is impressive, on this slow and hearty track.
When it comes to blues
musicians, Coba is the real deal. It’s such a delight to find an album such as Mother Blues. It definitely hits the spot.
For more information on Rachelle Coba, visit her
website at http://rachellecoba.com/
