In Paris!
Music Maker, 2022
9/10
The legendary blues guitarist Beverly ‘Guitar’ Watkins sees a set from 2012 documented here, where her inimitable playing and strong attention to detail make for an exciting 10 song set.
“Baghdad Blues” opens the listen with Watkins’ soulful and fluid pipes alongside Ardie Dean’s playful drumming in the timeless blues climate, and “Do The Breakdown” follows with Nashid Abdul’s bouncy bass work complementing the rhythmic delivery of raw but melodic blues rock.
At the midpoint, “Lonesome Window Blues” welcomes Watkins’ inviting harmonica to the slow burning display of grit and tunefulness, while “Blues Ain’t What It Used To Be” shuffles and shakes with Albert White’s proficient guitar front and center amid Watkins’ raw singing and six string acrobatics.
Deeper still, “You Send Me” resides in ballad territory with its dreamy demeanor and soft trombone from Lil Joe Burton, and “Get Out On The Floor” exits the listen with a festive and rowdy execution of wild yet controlled blues flavor and could soundtrack a party with its bright brass, moody organ and soaring guitars.
Sadly, Watkins passed away in 2019, but she left behind a legacy of well received and respected work in various bands, as well as a solo record in 1999. Easily one of the best to ever pick up the six string, these 10 tracks prove just why she was the Queen of Blues Rock.
Travels well with: Sue Foley- Pinky’s Blues; Joanna Connor- 4801 South Indiana Avenue