Vanessa Collier Do It My Own Way Phenix Fire Records

I've been a big fan of the music of Vanessa Collier since first discovering her nearly 10 years ago, and I was always quick to add her albums as soon as they came out. That's why I was surprised to just recently learn that she released Do It My Own Way (Phenix Fire Records) in the fall of 2024.

As soon as I realized that I had missed this release, I quickly downloaded the album and listened to it repeatedly to make up for lost time. (Note to the publicist currently repping Vanessa's work -- please make sure that Blues Bytes is on your contact list!).

Now that we've got the digital files on the hard drive, let's get a review out there just in case our readers also missed it the first time around.

Do It My Own Way is a bit short compared to other albums, coming in with eight songs and just over half an hour of music. But don't let that affect your purchasing decision, because Collier has selected eight really good originals for the album, many expressing how she lives her life. As usual, she plays both alto and tenor sax throughout. Backing Collier are the always outstanding Laura Chavez (guitar), Scot Sutherland (bass), and Bryon Cage (drums), Reverend Charles Hodges comes in on organ at times and Doug Woolverton adds trumpet accompaniment .

Opening the show is the soulful "Elbow Grease," getting a little funky at times. There's plenty of big sounds from the horns, with Collier and Woolverton both taking solos. The title cut, "Do It My Own Way," is a funky blues that has Collier telling the listener that she's not following conventional ways to live. Chavez lays down a really fine blues guitar solo, which she also does on the mid-tempo snaky blues, "Take Me Back." Collier's vocals really soar at times on this number and, of course, she comes in with a strong sax solo.

"Wild as a Rainstorm" leans more towards the soul side of the fence, also stepping a foot down the R&B path. Collier puts power into her vocals on this one as she informs us about her attitude on life, and shows her versatility by inserting flute work during the song. One of my favorites, "Shoulda Knwon Better," is up next, an up-tempo funky, soulful blues on which Collier reflects on mistakes made in a past relationship.

Heading down a different path is the slow number, "Just One More," a rumba beat with Woolverton's trumpet providing a Latin sound. The song that really grabbed me right away is Collier's tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Rosetta," as her vocals educate us on her idol's contributions to the birth of rock 'n roll. She sings that she wants to follow in Rosetta's footsteps while giving the music her own touch. I look forward to hearing a Tharpe cover on a future Collier album.

"Warrior," the album closer, begins with Collier using a slide on her resonator guitar before the song turns into a tribute to an unnamed woman who kept trying to fight the system despite the truth being sheltered behind "big money." Collier packs plenty of emotion into her vocals, and it's obvious that this particular warrior was someone close to her.

I had to amend the first draft of my list of top albums for the year once I came across Do It My Own Way. Better late than never. If this one also passed you by, don't hesitate to add it to your Vanessa Collier library pronto. You won't regret it!

 --- Bill Mitchell