MARKEY BLUE
HEY HEY
SOUL O SOUND RECORDS SOSRCD101
WHEN LOVE COMES ALONG (HEY HEY)–I CAN’T LET YOU GO–SOMETHING’S WRONG–FEELING BLUE–FLAMES–PLAY ME–ANOTHER LOVER–WITH YOU–VOODOO DO–AIN’T NO ANGEL–BY MY SIDE–BABY I’M CRYIN’
It has been our pleasure to have known Markey Blue for several years now. She and her musical collaborator, Ric Latina, have been mainstays in the Nashville Blus Society, regularly appearing in weekly jam sessions as well as their own dates around town. Markey has one of those soulfully-distinctive voices that can swing from blues shouter to sultry chanteuse with ease. That vocal versatility plus the choice of material is the key to her latest release onSoul O Sound Records, “Hey Hey.” Markey and Ric joined forces to create the twelve originals herein, and theses cuts bring to mind the glory days of Memphis and Muscle Shoals soul.
Ric is a master of old-school R & B licks on the guitar, and there is a full horn and keys section behind Markey’s dazzling vocals that adds to the party atmosphere. Check out “Something’s Wrong”–Markey finds out her man might be cheatin, and that guarantees “there won’t be no more us!” The power of all-consuming love is chronicled by those “Flames” that engulf one as they go “higher and higher, spinnin’ me ’round and round.” Ex-lovers try to rekindle the old magic as Markey begs her lover to “Play Me one more time.” This one was co-written by Jack Pearson, who also adds guitar. “By My Side” is a breezy soul jam with horn and organ work that brings to mind those classic sides from Felix Cavaliere and The Rascals. The set closes with Markey’s poignant vocals where “raindrops on the window match the tears upon my face” as she realizes that her lover has moved on, in “Baby I’m Cryin.”
We liked Steve Cropper’s advice on this one, and we took it. Listen to the set all the way thru and pick the ones you like best, so here are ours. The leadoff title cut has an irresistibly-danceable groove over Markey’s vocal that deals with great lovers of the past getting stung by Cupid’s arrow. Markey’s vocal on “Feeling Blue,” with its lyrics of the “whisky bottle that ain’t helping me feel no pain” has a definite Ann Peebles vibe. And, she gets downright sultry over the slide guitar lleads as she begs the question “What do your Voodoo Do?”
This material works perfectly for Markey Blue and Ric. You can see how they’ve matured a players and composers on this one, and the energy that they bring to the table makes “Hey Hey” a real treat! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
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