Vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Cairns was raised on a diet of Texas blues, rockabilly and the unmistakable voice of Patsy Cline. With a vocal style that has been compared to such women of the blues as Bonnie Raitt, Angela Strehli and Janis Joplin, Kathleen has ben singing the blues professionally since 1990. Along with her band, Tattoo Blue, Kathleen Cairns has become a mainstay on the West Coast blues circuit, performing with such notables as Tommy Castro, Robben Ford, Coco Montoya, Little Charlie and The Nightcats and Walter Trout, just to name a few.
The debut CD release by Kathleen Cairns and Tattoo Blue is entitled What's Left Don't Feel Right. This twelve song release contains three covers and nine songs written by Kathleen Cairns and/or one of the members of her talented band that includes Steve Dunne (guitar), Kenny Webb (bass), Dave Kaffinetti (keyboards) and Ed Seeberger (drums). Overall, the recording is full of well-crafted music and the expressive vocals of Kathleen Cairns.
What's Left Don't Feel Right opens with two of the best songs on the CD, "Faultline" and "One Good Reason." Writing credits for "Faultline" are given to the entire band, with the result being one excellent, up tempo opener. The following number "One Good Reason" is also very well done and includes some nice guitar by Steve Dunne at the break. Song number three on the recording is entitled "Find It For Yourself," a soulful number that has the feeling of a song that might be performed by Bonnie Raitt. Again, Steve Dunne throws in nice, complimentary guitar solo midway through the number.
The string of opening original numbers continues with a slow blues number entitled "I Do," expressing the frustration of a love that has been dying for some time. The CD heads towards the halfway point with "Too Late," another up tempo song with more of a harder edged rock feeling. The halfway mark of the CD comes with the first of the three cover songs on the CD, "Drowning In the Sea of Love," previously recorded by such notables as Boz Scaggs, B.B. King and The Shirelles. Cairns and Tattoo Blue put together a well done rendition of the song with Cairns sounding very soulful.
"No Substitute" opens the second half of What's Left Don't Feel Right. This is a song about the futile attempts to replace true love with material things. The song has a modern country sound, but the lyrics are all blues. The following number "Since You Left" is another original by Steve Dunne with a more funky feeling and a message suggesting that sometimes the loss of a relationship translates into a release from the blues.
The second of the three covers on What's Left Don't Feel Right is "I'm Gonna Miss You (Like the Devil), originally written and recorded by Slim Harpo (a.k.a., James Moore). This is a very bluesy number with fine vocals by Cairns and a hard-charging guitar solo by Steve Dunne. "I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil)" is followed by another original tunes, "Checkin' Out," a song that includes some nice guest harp playing by Mick Martin and a story about a one-night stand and lots of regrets.
What's Left Don't Feel Right continues with a nice cover of Ray Charles classic, "Hard Times," featuring emotion-filled vocals and a well-placed keyboard solo by Dave Kaffinetti and a closing guitar solo by Steve Dunne. The CD ends with another original credited to the band called "Have A Good Time (All The Time). This is a "good time" number, leaving the listener with a positive message to have a good time where ever and when ever you can.
Kathleen Cairns and Tattoo Blue have put together a nice debut CD in What's Left Don't Feel Right that should help to give the band a higher profile on the West Coast and, perhaps, expand their fan base to the east. To find out more about the band, performance dates and their music, visit the band's website at www.tattooblue.net.
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