Odetta
"Blues Everywhere I Go"
(MC Records)
Anybody remember Odetta? The lady recently appeared here in Chicago and has a brand new record. Did I mention Odetta has been performing for fifty years? That's right, fifty. One of the guiding lights on the folk boom in the early sixties; Odetta performed a distinctive brand of gospel-folk-blues with regal authority. Her husky voice was perfect for grass roots epics like Pete Seeger's "If I Had A Hammer," as well as gospel traditionals like "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" and "Midnight Special." A forceful artist who influenced a young Joan Baez as well as singers like Janis Joplin, Joan Armatrading, Tracy Chapman and contemporary performers like Jewel and Cassandra Wilson, Odetta's persona has always been proud and true. While Odetta has mined great African-American traditions, including old work songs and timeless gospel, her latest album captures Odetta singing the blues. Naturally, Odetta's blues are imbued with dignity and courage rather than self-indulgent grief. Gathering songs made famous by blues matriarchs like Sippie Wallace, Ma Rainey, Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, Odetta sings with an easy confidence and bold passion. Accompanied by hotshot guitarist Jimmy Vivino and Dr. John's barrelhouse piano, Odetta touches the human side of compositions by folk/blues icons like Leadbelly's "Careless Love" and Big Bill Broonzy's "W.P.A. Blues." Her vocal duet with Dr. John on "Please Send Me Someone To Love" is as yearning and bittersweet as the blues can be. While not a blues mama in the strictest sense, Odetta has plenty of bite in her voice as she leads us all through the blues of ages. For the uninitiated, there's also the newly released collection, "Odetta: Best Of The Vanguard Years," which has all of the lady's classic sixties performances. This disc includes her version of "Battle Hymn of The Republic," "Cotton Fields" and a previously unreleased version of "House Of The Rising Son." Get right with Odetta, right now.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.