Best Of Me
Gulf Coast, 2023
8/10
The blues guitarist Joanna Connor brings her esteemed playing and singing to this first album on the Gulf Coast label, where an incredible line up helps flesh out the 11 powerful tracks.
“House Of Rules” gets the listen off to an energetic start, where Raul Vellejo’s animated trombone and Eric Demmer’s lively sax solos add much to Connor’s distinct pipes, and “Pain And Pleasure” follows with Connor’s intricate guitar and Jason J Roc Edwards’ agile drums making for a breezy climate.
Further on, the emotive “I Lost You’ welcomes Dan Souvigny’s dreamy keys to the intimate landscape, while “All I Want Is You” benefits much from Shaun Gotti Calloway’s well timed bass and Curtis Moore Jr.’s warm organ for the album’s best.
Landing near the end, “Greatest Of These” is quite soulful in an eloquent and poetic fashion, and “Shine On” exits with some ruggedness amid the sturdy melodies that suit Connor’s soaring pipes.
A listen that thematically surrounds maturing as a woman and that welcomes plenty of diverse ideas, this is a record that’s as enjoyable to listen to as it probably was to make.
Travels well with: Mike Zito/Albert Castiglia- Blood Brothers; Albert Castiglia- I Got Love