Wanda Jackson
was a mere 16 years old when she cut her first single, but while she was a better than average
country
crooner from the start, it wasn't until the summer of 1956 that
Jackson
began to sing like the force of nature now recognized as the first great female rocker. A few things happened to
during that two-year stretch between her recorded debut and her shift into high gear, and one of them was meeting
Elvis Presley
, who was still recording for
Sun
when she first played a show with him on July 20, 1955.
generously acknowledges that
Elvis
taught her how to bring out her inner rock & roller, and they were close friends for years (and for a little while boyfriend and girlfriend). On this album,
pays homage to
the Hillbilly Cat
by covering 13 songs associated with
, most dating from his days at
or from the early years of his tenure with
RCA
, along with one new song,
"I Wore Elvis' Ring,"
and two
spoken word
cuts in which she shares her memories of
Presley
. For the most part, the production and arrangements are in the classic
rockabilly
mode, with guitarist and producer
Danny B. Harvey
, drummer
Clem Burke
, and veteran pianist
Don Randi
playing with skill and high style without getting in the way of the star of the show, and while
's voice has started to show some slight signs of wear, she dives into these tunes with audible enthusiasm and a great feel for the material.
brings her own style and personality to these songs, no small accomplishment, and while her phrasing leans toward the
honky tonk
material that dominated the greatest part of her career, her performances reveal what she learned from
as well as what she found in her own musical personality when she embraced the joys of
rock & roll
.
I Remember Elvis
is something short of revelatory, but it is a sincere and loving tribute to an influential artist from someone who learned from him first-hand, and it proves that
is still the Queen of
Rock & Roll
just as much as
remains the King. Fine stuff. ~ Mark Deming