#624: Soulful Femme - Attitude (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2023 – Skydog Studios

By Phillip Smith; July 22, 2023

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Funk, soul, and blues form a magical convergence with the sounds of Soulful Femme.  Comprised of lead vocalist Stevee Wellons and guitarist Cheryl Rinovato, Soulful Femme was formed shortly after the two women met at a blues society event in 2014.  Attitude, the follow up album to their 2021 release It Is Well With My Soul, is produced by Albert Castiglia and features him on guitar for three tracks.  The backing musicians include drummer Michael Bram, bassist Matt Reynol, Dave Gross on Hammond organ and tambourine, Doug Woolverton on trumpet, and Mark Earley on tenor saxophone.  Special guests on this record include Tommy Castro and Kevin Burt.

The funky, infectious rhythm of title-track “Attitude” leads the way with Castiglia joining in on guitar.  The bassline is thick as Wellons’ vocals ring out with a striking fearlessness.  I absolutely love their cover with Kevin Burt which breathes new life into the 1968 Willie Dixon/Koko Taylor duet “Insane Asylum”.  Burt and Wellons sing this heartbreaker with pure emotion as they stick the landing for a stellar performance.  Reminiscent of the lovely sounds of Sade, “Breathe Again” rolls in on a crisp wave of fresh air.  Rinovato digs in deep with a George Benson-like approach on guitar and it sounds fabulous.  Tommy Castro joins in the fun on the bodacious cover of James Brown’s “Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothing”.  This funkdafied track is one I really enjoy.

The musical chemistry between Wellons and Rinovato extends beyond their performance and into their song-writing.  Soulful Femme’s “Attitude” is an album soul-blues fans will surely want to hear.  They are definitely an act to keep one’s eyes and ears on.

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For more information about Soulful Femme visit the website :  https://www.soulfulfemme.com

 

Nancy Wright - Playdate!

2016 –  Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 25, 2016

In 2013, San Francisco musician, Nancy Wright pulled down the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame’s Blues Saxophonist of the Year award.  She’s been touring with Tommy Castro for the past couple of years, and has just wrapped up her latest album, Playdate!.  For this project, she has enlisted a slew of top tier blues talent – Tommy Castro, Victor Wainwright, Elvin Bishop, and Joe Louis Walker to name a few.  Her band consists of producer/guitarist Christopher “Kid” Anderson, with Chris Burns on keys, bassist Joe Kyle Jr., drummer J. Hansen, Tom Poole on trumpet, and Faris Jarrah on trombone, and percussionist Martin Windstad.

Guest vocalist Wee Willie Walker gives a standout performance and Wright gets down on sax, as the gang breaks out the sweet funk on the Willie Harper classic, “Why You Wanna Do It”.  I fall hook, line and sinker for this track.  It’s absolutely fabulous.  I also have to crank up the volume when the soulful “Been Waiting That Long” kicks in.  Sung by Frank Bey, who toured with the Otis Redding Review in the sixties, this killer song was written by Wright’s friend and mentor, the late, great Lonnie Mack.  Kyle’s funky bassline grabs ahold and doesn’t let go on “Warranty”, a smooth bluesy track featuring the lovely and silky vocal talents of Terrie Odabi. 

Wright pulls in the carefree and classic Motown sound on original track, “Good Loving Daddy”.  It’s a terrific listen for sure.  Playdate! winds down and closes out with the with the slow and wonderfully bluesy “Soul Blue”, which features the spectacular guitar sounds of Chris Cain.  This album is a definite keeper.   

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers - The Devil You Know

Alligator Records,  2014

By Phillip Smith; January 18, 2014

Returning to the studio with a new band, The Painkillers, along with a bus load full of special guests which includes Marcia Ball, Tab Benoit, Joe Bonamassa, Samantha Fish, Mark Karan, Magic Dick, Tasha Taylor, and the Holmes Brothers, Tommy Castro has recorded one smoking hot Blues album, The Devil You Know.  The Painkillers consist of bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Byron Cage, and keyboardist James Pace. 

It’s almost impossible to not get down and do some foot-tapping when I hear “When I Cross the Mississippi”.  Tab Benoit and Mark Karan both jump in with guitars. Tab joins along on vocals as well.  I really identify with this song, and the way it invokes a longing to return to wherever we call home.  When I hear him sing the lyrics, ‘That river runs so strong.  The river clears my brain.  When I cross the Mississippi, I got muddy water in my vein.’, I get the urge to hop in my car, drive down to Memphis, and catch some live music. 

I love the slow and swampy infectious groove on the title track, “The Devil You Know”.  Between that groove, Castro’s killer guitar licks and the soulful organ contributions from Pace, this makes for a strong opening track.  Things get even better when Joe Bonamassa joins in on a cover of Savoy Brown’s “I’m Tired”.  Bonamassa handles most of the guitar on this as Castro’s slightly gravely vocals add an extra layer of ‘cool’ to the song.  The jam between the two towards the end of the song is nice as well.  Mark Karan also sits in on another outstanding cover, Wet Willie’s “Keep on Smilin’”.  I might have to even say I like this version a smidge better than the original.  I can’t help but be in a better mood when I hear it.

Joining Castro as he wails on his guitar, in the fast paced original, “Medicine Woman”, is Samantha Fish.  She’s sexy and sultry.  It’s always a pleasure to hear her sing.  It’s also a pleasure to hear the Holmes Brothers who provide spiritually uplifting backing vocals on “Two Steps Forward”, which has an extra boost of richness provided by harmonica master, Magic Dick.     

One of my favorites, “Center of Attention”, is an energetically charged powerhouse of a song with pounding rhythmic drums, splendid guitar riffs, and fierce vocals.  Revolving around a drama queen who just has to be the center of attention, this song definitely ends up on my heavy rotation list. 

The Devil You Know is thirteen tracks of soulful positively charged Blues music. It is a fantastic listen from beginning to end.   

Tommy Castro presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue Live

By Phillip Smith

If one thing can be said about Tommy Castro, it’s that he knows how to put on a show.  So well in fact that he is the honorary captain of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruises.   This album features some of the highlights from The Revue’s recent live performances.  The Revue consists of Tommy Castro, his band, complete with horn section, and a number of musical guests. 

Magic is in the air as Castro totally reinvents Bob Dylan’s ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’.  Possibly one of the hottest tracks on the whole album, it’s as if Stevie Wonder himself took the song, baptized it in a lake of funk, and handed it back. 

Rick Estrin, who has recently taken over for Little Charlie as front man for the Nightcats, dishes out some smoking’ harp licks on ‘My Next Ex-Wife’.   Estrin, not the only Nightcat in on this one, is joined on this one by his guitarist Chris ‘Kid’ Anderson, who adds some pretty hot licks to the song as well.

If I were to continue name dropping, I might ask what Michael Burks, Joe Louis Walker,  Trampled Under Foot, and Janiva Magness all have in common.  The answer would be that they all contribute smoking hot numbers on this album as well. 

This CD is definitely a jewel for those who dig their compilation albums.  Because Castro’s band is backing each track, the listener gets a really good mix of music, but with a common thread providing a fluid connection.   Of course, this one comes highly recommended.