Just as a
bluegrass
festival might attract a
country
singer who's too
for
radio, Chicago's
blues
scene is a good place to hear
classic soul
singing in the '60s/'70s sense. For decades,
soul
has been an important part of the menu in many of the Windy City's
clubs -- Chicago is full of talented
singers who are also talented
singers, and few of the city's
clubs are going to reject someone simply because he/she doesn't stick to the 12-bar format 100 percent of the time.
Soul
, in fact, is an important part of what
Shirley Johnson
does on her first
Delmark
release,
Killer Diller
, which was recorded in 1996, 2000, and 2001. The gritty, big-voiced Chicago resident (originally from Norfolk, VA) offers plenty of Chicago-style
electric blues
on this CD, including
"The Blues Is All I've Got"
and
Willie Dixon
's
"Killer Diller."
But for
Johnson
, being
-oriented doesn't mean being a
purist, and she brings a healthy appreciation of classic, pre-
urban contemporary R&B
to
"No Deposit, No Return"
Sam Cooke
"Somebody Have Mercy."
Another highlight of the album is
Jimi Hendrix
"Little Wing,"
which
gives a somewhat
Tina Turner
-ish makeover.
can also handle
gospel
, although she sticks to secular lyrics on
(except for
Leiber & Stoller
"Saved,"
which was a hit for
LaVern Baker
). No one will accuse
of being an innovator; while
Koko Taylor
Etta James
were the leaders,
is among the followers. But if
is derivative, she's also expressive, highly enjoyable, and good at what she does. Anyone who has spent a lot of time listening to
Taylor
,
James
, and similar vocalists should have no problem getting into
. ~ Alex Henderson