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| Erstwhile bassist and back-up vocalist Charlene Grant (the late Isaac Scott, Steve Bailey) takes center-stage, to put her money where her mouth is, so to speak. Except for one track and a few collaborations, these righteous compositions are all her own! The only cover is a zydeco remake of Charlie Singleton/Rosie McCoy�s �Ever Since My Baby�s Been Gone�, which was recorded somewhat more jazzily by the legendary Ruth Brown. Greg Keplinger replaces Kevin Cook on drums on this lively track. Among the multitude of stellar players (Jack Cook, Eric �Two Scoops� Moore and Steve Bailey) are her equally-accomplished fellow Alaskans, �The 3Js� - bluesman John Stephan (lead guitar and background vocals); John Lee (alternating on bass) of the Crossroads Band; and John Firmin (tenor saxophone) of the Johnny Nocturne Band. There never being enough �Johns� to go around, John Marshall of the Wild Rhododendrons participates on sweetly laid-back but uptempo harmonica and lead vocals on �Say the Word�, a Grant-Marshall composition paying a tribute to high-fidelity in friendships. Charlene also collaborates with John Barnard (of Jack Tempchin�s band) on �Spark an Old Flame�, featuring Jack Cook on National steel guitar, Hugh Sutton on accordion, Greg Roberts on bass and Lee Merrihew on drums. Charlene�s vocals are strong, pleasant and well-enunciated, although her phrasing is initially a bit too choppy, perhaps deliberately, on �The Business of Love�, a catchy little R&B tune that slightly recalls Robert Palmer�s �Addicted to Love�. She experiments with a variety of rhythms and tempos, including a bit of rapping on the funky �Life�s Too Short� (co-written with Stephan), but her vocals smooth out on slow-blues tunes like �The One With The Blues�, with John Firmin climaxing on a saxophone break � whoa! Joel Foy, who was one of the performers on the 1984 reputedly classic Criminal Records� Live at the Roadhouse CD (with Isaac Scott, Curtis Salgado, Lloyd Jones, etc.), plays guitar on the honky-tonkin� title track here, and Stuart Nyren (from John Stephan�s own band) hits the drumkit on �Life�s Too Short�, on which track John Stephan shines on lead guitar and a devious ex-boyfriend gets compared to George Bush! �Train Wreck�, with John Stephan cutting a swath with his trademark searing slide guitar and Steve Bailey fiercely blowing his blues-harp, is the blockbuster track and does not, in any way, pertain to that term as it is used in a musical sense. The lyrics on �Theory of Laundry� are comically feminist, but she�s wise to mockingly advise that you �Don�t Try to Change Your Man� - �You might change that man and make him just right for somebody else.� Charlene is accompanied perfectly by Ava Stephan, John�s daughter, on harmony vocals, Greg Roberts on mandolin, Guy Quintino on bass and Vern Petry on drums. �Love Doctor� was first recorded on the self-titled d�but CD of The 3Js (then called the Three Johns). I loved it then and still do! It�s a thoroughly enjoyable CD, and I look forward to hearing more from Ms. Grant. Diane Wells |
| THAT WOULD BE ME - CHARLENE GRANT 2004 |
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