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| NO, I NEVER - NDIDI ONUKWULU |
| The current biography of Ndidi Onukwulu (pronounced in-DEE-DEE on-NOO-kwoo-loo) dubs this attractive Nigerian descendant from British Columbia as being �first and foremost a blues singer�. Considering the pathetic promotion that is normally afforded to blues musicians by commercial/corporate radio stations, that label that could have been a kiss of death for her. Fortunately, she fits in well with women like Norah Jones who are forging a path for blues or at least blues-based music to finally be accepted by mainstream music fans.
Vocalist/songwriter Ndidi is joined on guitars by the CD�s producer Sam Goldberg and well-known Toronto bluesmen Madagascar Slim and Donn� Robert, both members of Julian Fauth & The Chain Gang. Also adding to the production, which was mastered by Andy Krehm, are bassist Tom Sertsis, drummer/percussionist Rakesh Tewari, organist Peter Chapman and special guests Todor Kobakov on piano and Pat Conan on shakers. Possessing a naturally sassy voice that recalls early Rickie Lee Jones and, more contemporarily, a soulful version of Nelly Furtado, Ndidi opens the CD with a jaunty little tune, almost boogie-like, called �Horn Blower�, a cheerfully sympathetic homage to a persistent busker intent on making a living at his trade despite the apparent indifference of passersby. While Madagascar Slim and Donn� get to shine on �Weight�, a Pink Floyd-like blues-rock opus paralleling Don Henley�s �All She Wants to Dance�, I found Goldberg�s guitar-playing on the country-blues ballad, �Water� to be very appealing, as well. Despite the feelings of self-destruction and remorse conveyed in its lyrics (�And now I lay here crying, just want to open up these veins and let your scent leak on out, make the pain dissipate�), I found the laid-back rhythmic strumming and pretty-picking more comforting than maudlin. The similarly-patterned �Wicked Lady� is another great example of how Goldberg and Onukwulu complement each other in their collaborative songwriting. Ndidi has an empathetic rather than confrontational style of delivering the somber messages contained in these, which was very refreshing and easy on the ears. �Hey There� is notable in that it melds a funky beat with driving psychedelic blues guitars and equally forceful bass and drums that reinforces the lyrics telling of a man who is compelled to run from his memories of the past. There�s a beautiful lullaby called �Hush� played on acoustic guitar by Goldberg, with Chapman accompanying on organ, which is a bonus reason for buying this CD, especially if you have young children. This is Ndidi at her vocally spine-tingling best. All of the 11 songs are collaborations between Ndidi Onukwulu and Sam Goldberg, except for the traditional Freedom Song, �May Be the Last Time (I Don�t Know)�, which was kinda, sorta ripped off by The Rolling Stones, but here it�s slowed down to its original gospel version, chanted beautifully a capella, with the men offering up choral back-up, clapping and drums. Speaking of the Stones, �Seen You Before� is best appreciated with the volume turned up, although I didn�t care for the distraction of the standard, monotonous rock�n�roll snare drum tap. Contrary to the other selections, this song needs to have the volume cranked by the listener to be fully appreciated as the commercial pop song it is. Both �Old Heart� and �Home� return the listener to traditional roots, with the latter stripped of any instrumentation and the former eventually building up to a crescendo reminiscent of the �70s San Francisco Bay Area guitar-slinger sound. The finale, �Long Way Home�, featuring a somewhat awkward downstroke on acoustic guitar, was slightly anti-climatic, musically-speaking, compared with the more powerful material preceding it, but it�s a fairly acute observation about the mobility of a worm (I think). She sings, �The will to move you possess, Your constant push and pull, Remind me of the water, The way you ebb and flow�, which is not unlike the way the songs flow on this recording. I�d take the �long way home� just so I could listen to No, I Never in its wonderful entirety! Ndidi, now based in Toronto, is currently on a tour of the Western Canadian provinces, but I�d bet it�s just a matter of time before she becomes a household name throughout our country and south of the border, too. |