Hanna PK – Blues All Over My Shoes
VizzTone Label Group / Booga Music
11 tracks
South Korean born Hanna PK now lives in Rochester, NY and was a semi-finalist in the 2019 International Blues Challenge representing Western NY. This is her third album and first with the folks at VizzTone. Hanna is a fine musician and vocalist whose is steeped in the tradition of the blues. Her music evokes the past yet she puts a fresh and cool spin on her songs.
Hanna handles all the vocals and piano. Kenny Neal produced the album and plays harp and bass on the first track and guitar on that and two others. Lil Mike Harris handles the drums on the first nine tracks. Miguel Hernandez plays bass on all but the first and last two tracks. Brandon Adams adds organ to four tracks and Paul Emden adds brushes on the final cut.
The first track is “Mirror Mirror,” a nice, midtempo blues with slick piano and husky vocals. It’s a great hook to start things off. The boogie “Bad Women” gets things moving and features some sultry vocals by Hanna. “Insomnia Blues” is a sweet, slow blues that Hanna handles quite well. The only cover on the album is Memphis Slim’s “I’m Lost Without You,” an upbeat and bouncy song that shows her ability to take a cover and make it hers. :Love Keeps Walking In” is next and it’s a very pretty ballad with good piano work and a bit of organ added for depth. “It’s All Right Baby” returns things to an upbeat side with a bouncy jump blues. Hanna’s piano is really a standout on this one.
“No One Will Ever Know” follows, a slower tune that is pretty much also a ballad. The organ is there for good effect to back her. “Ain’t Gonna Be Looking Back No More” is a grooving and fun cut that moves along sweetly. The slow blues of “It’s Been Raining In My Heart” is next, a deep and almost gritty cut with Hanna again showing her chops. “Bad Habit” is solo piano and voice and Hanna does a super job on her own with this one. The final track features Hanna going up and down the keyboards and back again in this slick boogie woogie with tons of great piano licks. Well done and a super finish to a super album!
I was very pleased with this album. Hanna PK is the real deal. She can boogie with the best of them and she can maneuver stylistically through any tempo or format of a song. Her original cuts are outstanding and I think she has the makings of an excellent musician and performer who we will be happy to hear more and more of!
