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Sue Foley, Deborah Coleman, Roxanne Potvin
Time Bomb
Ruf Records
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Last year, Ruf began their Blues Caravan tours, which grouped three
musicians for a CD release along with a worldwide tour. Last year’s trio
was Aynsley Lister, Erja Lyytinen, and Ian Parker, a European trio
largely unfamiliar in the states whose album, Pilgrimage, was one of the
surprise releases of 2006. 2007’s Blues Caravan trio will be more
familiar to most American blues fans. Guitarists Sue Foley and Deborah
Coleman are highly regarded and each has released several well-received
albums since the early ’90s. Roxanne Potvin is fresh from her impressive
Ruf long-player The Way It Feels, which featured her sultry vocals and
songwriting skills. Their collaboration, Time Bomb, will please their
fans immensely and should attract even more new fans.
The title track, an incendiary instrumental written by Foley, kicks
things off in roof-raising fashion. The ladies then alternate lead
vocals on the next nine songs. Potvin’s sings on two original
compositions, the pretty ballad, “Strong Enough To Hold You,” and “Get
Up!” She also does a fine cover of Allen Toussaint’s “Hittin’ On Nothin’.”
Foley’s three tracks include “So Far,” a hard rocker that ranks with
some of her best work, “Show Me,” an original that would have made
Memphis Minnie proud, and “Two Moons Gone,” a countrified rave-up.
Coleman contributes a loose version of James Brown’s “Talkin’ Loud” that
threatens to outdo the Godfather’s original. “Motor City” is another
funky track that features some of Coleman’s tough, rhythmic guitar work.
Her third cut, the jaunty “Don’t Start The Car” was contributed by
producer Kevin Bowe. To close the disc, the ladies share vocal duties on
an enjoyable version of the Billy Davis/Etta James classic, “In The
Basement.”
The backing musicians (Billy Thommes on drums, Jim Anton on bass, Mark
Lickteig on B-3 and backing vocals, Bruce McCabe on piano and Wurlitzer)
provide stellar support and Bowe’s production is top notch.
Time Bomb is
a first-rate effort and sounds like it was a lot of fun to make. Look
for these three ladies in the Blues Caravan tour this year.
--- Graham Clarke
