SARAH JANE NELSON
WILD WOMEN DON’T GET THE BLUES
SELF-RELEASED
WILD WOMEN DON’T GET THE BLUES–NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT–I PUT A SPELL ON YOU–ST. LOUIS BLUES–SWEET HOME CHICAGO–STORMY MONDAY–BABY WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO–NATURE BOY–STORMY BLUES–LONG AS I GOT YOU–HOUND DOG–SSUMMERTIME–TROUBLE IN MIND
One of the most pleasant recent additions to the burgeoning blues jam scene in Nashville has been the arrival of Sarah Jane Nelson. Sarah was born in Little Rock, AR, and raised down in Monroe, LA. Her first exposure to blues of any kind was the Robert Johnson box set in a local record store. She was enamored by the way Johnson used only his expressive voice and snaky guitar lines to create the 29 songs that would form the basis for the entire blues canon. Taking her cue from Johnson and other Delta players, her rich, resonant, supple tones breathe life into everything she sings. Her most recent blues CD is entitled “Wild Women Don’t Get The Blues,” and was recorded “live” at Freeman Sound in Ashland, OR, on May 5, 2011. Along with Sarah on vocals, she is backed by Hawkeye Herman on guitar, Big Irv Lubliner on harp, and brushed percussion from Tom Freeman.
While in OR, Sarah honed her passion for the blues by playing shows at outdoor Shakespeare festivals. This CD features twelve covers and one original, and gives the listener that feeling that it was recorded right on your front porch.
Sarah puts a lot of feeling in these cuts, and this material fits her perfectly. She gets downright playful on the title cut, and gives an authentic, wistful read of “I Put A Spell On You,” (minus all the vocal theatrics of Jay Hawkins’ original!). “Sweet Home Chicago” and “Baby What ou Want Me To Do” swing unabashedly, the latter done as a duet with Hawkeye. Sarah also has background in Broadway and cabaret-style singing, and her renditions of “Summertime” and “Nature Boy” attest to this.
Our favorite was an easy choice. Sarah’s original “Long As I Got You” finds her putting love first and foremost over materialistic possessions, and is done in the style of the pre-WWII blues singers she holds dear.
Sarah Jane Nelson is a refreshing addition to the growing number of outstanding singers in our society. She’s graced the stage at the Hard Rock Cafe for the Christmas party, and with a set as strong as “Wild Women Don’t Get The Blues,” here’s hoping that we’ll be hearing much more from her in the future! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, Nashville Blues Society.
Sa
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