WHITNEY SHAY
A WOMAN RULES THE WORLD
LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION 102
AIN’T NO WEAK WOMAN–BLUES DOWN HOME–DON’T YOU FOOL ME NO MORE–LOVE’S CREEPING UP ON YOU–A WOMAN RULES THE WORLD–FREEDOM BLUES–GET IT WHEN I WANT IT–CHECK ME OUT–EMPTY HAND–GET DOWN WITH IT
Whitney Shay is a two-time winner of the San Diego Music Award for Best Blues Artist, and rightfully so. She is a tremendously-talented, fantastic singer that will put you in the mind of folks such as Carla Thomas, Etta James and other Sirens of soul and blues. Her latest album is her first in six years, and showcases her fine writing talents also. It is entitled “A Woman Rules The World,” for the Little Village Foundation. It is an album full of moments of empowerment, recorded at Greaseland Studios, with the honorable Kid Andersen producing and on guitars and strings throughout. Jim Pugh is on keys and serves as executive producer as well.
This rockin’ soul party kicks off with the anthemic “Ain’t No Weak Woman, just ’cause I had a weak moment.” It churns with gospel-fired intensity and features a great sax break from “Sax” Gordon Beadle himself! Aki Kumar is on the harp and “everybody gets it” on the gritty “Blues Down Home,” while Brazilian blues master Igor Prado is on the duet vocal for a sexy and playful B. B. King-inspired tale of a soon-to-be affair where “Love’s Creeping Up On You,” one of our favorites. Whitney gets right to the point with another lover that she just can’t quite get over, asking him to let her “Get It When I Want It, and you put it where I need it.” Kid is all over the slide on this one, too.
We had two other favorites, both with Little Richard’s DNA all over them. The set closes with Whitney gettin’ down ‘n’ funky on the dance floor, calling all players to come on and “Get Down With It!” One of our all-time favorite songs in any genre’ was written by Eskew Reeder and Little Richard, and it’s a protest song from back in the day called “Freedom Blues.” We’ve never heard a woman do it, ever, but Whitney makes it seem as if it were written for her! She helps us all “get rid of that old man Hate,” and shouts out “everybody’s got to be free! This one has Gordon on sax, and Kid is on the sitar, giving this one an authentic early-Seventies vibe.
Whitney Shay is a festival favorite, with incredible vocal chops and glamour-girl good looks. What’s not to love? Be it known that, for the blues, “A Woman Rules The World!” Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
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