Sass Jordan

REBEL MOON BLUES

2020-04-14

Canadian Sass Jordan made a big splash in the late 80’s with her hard- hitting vocals on tracks like "Tell Somebody" which stood in stark contrast to the pop fluff of her contemporaries. Since then she has delivered 11 discs including this one and has fronted not only her own band but starred in the off- Broadway show, Love Janis and the Canadian version of The Vagina Monologues. She has also shared the microphone with the likes of Joe Cocker on "Trust in Me" from the Bodyguard Soundtrack as well as George Clinton and others. As befits her rock roots, she has toured with the likes of Aerosmith, The Stones, AC/DC and Van Halen. On this disc she leaves rock behind for straight blues covers and one original, "The Key", that is cut from the same cloth. The covers range from venerable classics like Sleepy John Estes’ "Leaving Trunk", J.B. Hutto’s "Too Much Alcohol" and Willie Dixon’s "My Babe" to more recent fare such as Keb’ Mo’s "Am I Wrong", The Elmore James/ Sonny Boy Williamson penned "One Way Out" (done Allman Brothers style) and Leon Russell’s "Palace of the King". The stylistic curve ball of the collection is Brit Bluesman Gary Moore’s "Still Got the Blues" which, like the original, leaves off the rough edges of traditional blues for a smooth, yet searing guitar attack. For her part, Jordan is up to the high standards set by the originals with her rough and ready vocals restrained just enough to capture the nuances of the lyrics. Ably backed by her touring band, the Champagne Hookers, Jordan delivers a satisfying set despite the fact most of these songs have more miles on them than a presidential primary candidate. SMITTY

review by Mark