Saturday, January 7, 2017

Trudy Lynn

I wrote this review way back in April 2016 and then my blog got hacked and worked out on me. I still don't know what went awry, but I just sort of abandoned trying to straighten things out. Re-visited today and things seem to be working again. The review is unfinished, but Imma gonna publish it as is and just say--GET THIS ONE. Since then, I caught up with Trudy at the Navasota Blues Fest last August. She did kick butt, giving the Fest folks a taste of how it should be done. Anyway--

Way back in the day I ventured over to the Continental Club in Houston, Texas for an annual birthday bash honoring Big Walter Price, a legendary piano pounding bluesman (J Geils covered his Packed Fair and Square). Mucho many musicians throughout the city participated in the party. While standing there, bopping to the rockin' tones of Jerry Lightfoot (too early deceased now), I noticed glamorous lady decked out in her finest, alongside of me. She was bejeweled with fancy trinkets and sported long, long finger nails. She was bopping along with me. In short order, she was summoned to the stage and introduced as Trudy Lynn. I had certainly heard of her, but until that night had never seen her perform on stage. Perform didn't actually capture what she did. She dominated the stage and completely upset the house with a set of raucous, raunchy tunes that had the audience entranced in the spell of the Devil's music. As she flirted with the birthday boy (it was his 80 something celebration, I swear he took on the demeanor of a teenager. That moment in time will alway stick with me.


Trudy has been doing the do for quite some time now, but lots of folks have just recently 'discovered' her due to the release of Royal Oaks Blues Cafe in 2013 and the 2015 Everything Comes With A Price. The critical raves about the former led to appearances at the top blues festivals, where I'm sure she managed to upset the house at every turn. 

Everything Comes With A Price picks up where Royal Oaks Blues Cafe left off with a package of songs from the way back when...when women blues singers ruled the roost and strutted the blues ike nobody's business, and self penned songs that fit the though as nails female blues protagonist. Many of the legendary blues singers, such as Alberta Adams, Lucille Bogan, and Ella Johnson told it like it is, or was, from that female perspective in regards to their male relationships. They were not shy about busting loose with a bit of raunch and bawdiness and sexual double entendres. Trudy dang sure knows where that bone is buried. 

Trudy latches onto Alberta Adams' I'm Gonna Latch On with that earthy, husky voice and leaves no doubt as to what she's going to latch onto. Her own Fat Daddy with it's stop time hoochie kootchiness references the big man's bone more than a time or two. 

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