In TWÓJ BLUES 2/2000 I wrote about Kelly Richey's live CD, not only my discovery in the guitar world of the ending of the twentieth century. In the first year of the new millennium she offers us a new, fourth album. Now it is sure that we have a new white lady introducing fresh air into contemporary blues. Her trump cards are: a strong, gritty voice and ten fingers capable of picking the right notes plus her stage personality. I show her show via internet, but I can imagine her live performance. She could start with Lifetime Guarantee a heavy shuffle winding up the audience with every chorus and sounding as if it were a SRV song. Then she could play Nothin To Do With Love and Too Late with very distinctive bass, juicy background vocals and Kelly's first solo presenting her possibilities. If there were any doubts, they would disappear after Livin' On Love the title track of the last (also reviewed here) Deborah Coleman's album. Both versions are masterpieces. Kelly's phrasing is excellent and so are her guitar calls and responses with Jack Holder.
Then comes a slow gospel Livin' On Love and a gloomy Nina Simone's ballad Nobody's Fault But Mine. After these it's time for a funky All The Help I Can Get and rock'n'rolly Now You Need Me with Kelly's solos and Ernest Williamson's fierce piano work, as if taken from Derek & the Dominos Blues Power. When I played the CD for the first time, I didn't study the cover too carefully. When I heard Now You Need Me it rang some bell. Then I had a closer look at the names on the cover, and I found old Luther Allison's companions (Steve Potts - dr, David Smith - bass and Ernest Williamson - keyb) known from "Blue Streak", "Bad Love" and "Reckless". Everything was clear! These guys do not perform with just anybody, but Kelly fulfils their requirements. How sad that we will never be able to hear Kelly and Luther play a piece, for example, I Gotta Move together. It is a song composed by Kelly, but it sound as if it were found somewhere in Luther's desk drawer.
Simply click on the CD cover at left to order this CD NOW!
This review is copyright © 2002 by Andrzej Matysik, and Blues On Stage at: www.mnblues.com, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission.
For permission to use this review please email Ray Stiles at: mnblues@aol.com
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