Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues
Candid, 2025
9/10
Listen to Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues
The iconic American jazz singer Nancy Harrow sees her debut album reissued here, where the 1961 release benefits from remastering to highlight the standards and classics.
The lively “Take Me Back Baby” opens with Dick Wellstood’s warm keys and Oliver Jackson’s frisky drums complementing Harrow’s inimitable pipes, and “All Too Soon” follows with the layered saxophones, which suits the expressive and smooth singing.
Further along, the bouncy spirit of “On The Sunny Side Of The Street” makes great use of Tom Gwaitney’s lively clarinet and Kenny Burrell’s meticulous guitar, while the title track benefits much from Dickie Wells’ booming trombone amid Harrow’s inimitable storytelling.
Landing close to the end, “I Don’t Know What Kind Of Blues I Got” is an intimate moment of soft playing that builds into an emotive album highlight, and “Blues For Yesterday” follows with Buck Clayton’s booming trumpet which helps illuminate the timeless blues climate.
An album that set off a lengthy career that’s still active, Harrow’s performance sure has aged well, and the top notch backing band spotlight the many solos, swing bouts and no lack warm and substantial blues ideas.
Travels well with: Jaki Byard- Blues For Smoke; Memphis Slim U.S.A.- Memphis Slim