Misty Blues – I’m Too Old For Games – A Live Tribute to Odetta
Guitar One Records
https://www.mistybluesband.com/
11 tracks/53 minutes
Misty Blues is a contemporary blues band from New England led by sing Gina Coleman. This is Misty Blues 16th album in their 25 years of playing together, a live recording paying tribute to the folk blues of the great singer Odetta. Coleman has been singing since 1990, and for the past quarter century Misty Blues has been her main musical effort. The band features a tight, swinging sound and the main protagonist are professionals who can hold their own anywhere.
Gina sings, plays cigar box guitar and does percussion. Aaron Dean is on saxophone and is a superb talent. Seth Fleischman on guitar can pick out some cool stuff on the acoustic and electric guitars. Diego Mongue on bass holds down the bottom end along with Rob Tatten on drums and vocals. On violin is Eilleen Markland who does an outstanding job. On piano is Joel Nicholas who makes the 88 keys submit to his assault in fine fashion. Also on vocals is Chantell McCulloch who also does percussive stuff. This ensemble is fantastic; the album was recorded live on March 9th, 2024 in North Adams, MA, in the Studio 9 Porches.
“Jim Crow Blues” opens the album, a Leadbelly song. Here we have killer vocals by Gina Coleman along with some pretty sax and acoustic guitar, and some piano and violin peeking in and out. “Weepin’ Willow Blues” is a Bessie Smith song written by Paul Carter, as is the following track. Coleman powerfully howls out the lead as this cut bounces along. Violin, sax and then electric guitar take turns soloing here. The jumping blues cut “Alabama Bound” follows, a rousing and uplifting cut. Gina again expresses herself powerfully. We get some guitar picking, sax blowing and fiddle playing in a hoe down fashion.
Ma Rainey’s “Yonder Comes the Blues” follows. Some nice boogie woogie piano is the order of the day her as Coleman again sings with grit and passion. Some fiddle playing gets featured in one chorus and then some guitar on the next. The sax takes it’s turn on the following chorus interlude and then takes us home to end it all. “Special Delivery Blues” is a Sippie Wallace tune Odetta made even more famous. Here Coleman makes it hers as she sings with authority. A driving groove keeps this one moving along smartly with lots of help by the tenor sax and then piano, sax and guitar give us some savory solos.
“Homeless Blues” is another Bessie Smith song; this one was written by Willie “Long Time” Smith. Gina sings with emotion, the acoustic guitar, piano and tenor sax get turns out front, too. “Jack O’ Diamonds” is traditional blues made popular by Blind Lemon Jefferson. Here they take what Odetta did and give it a bit of a funky groove for fun. More heavy vocal work, poignant guitar picking and sax soloing help to sell this one.
“Hold On” was originally released in 1912 by the Alabama Shakes. Here we begin with an ethereal into that breaks into a powerful, slow spiritual cut. They take us to church in this deep and emotive performance with some impressive call and response. Coleman lets it all hang vocally, the fiddle adds passion and emotion as it solos, the guitar takes the lead to good effect, and then the piano takes a turn leading the spiritual charge before the saxophone gets the final solo. Then it’s “Keep On Movin’ It On”, a cut Oddetta wrote and performed many a time as she and the song garnered fame. It’s a jumping and moving song with barrelhouse piano and rousing vocals.
The traditional folk song “900 Miles” get modernized with Coleman and her band giving it their all. Gina sings about the train taking her 900 miles to her home. Pretty piano, and then guitar get to solo first. The fiddle and guitar take their turn after the next verse before Coleman takes us home. The album concludes with “Freedom Trilogy,” a Paul Halley trio of songs that Odetta made famous. Gina sings with piano accompaniment to start off, and then the whole band enters the fray for the second cut and the backing vocalists get things hopping. Solo piano and sax get their time to solo sweetly. The final segment is a really cool and rousing ride to a wonderful conclusion.
Coleman’s husky and powerful voice makes for a powerful show. The audience here was obviously enthralled by the performance as was I. This is a great album featuring a top-notch singer accompanied by a truly exceptional band. Vocals, backing vocals and musicianship are outstanding. They work together as a team, supporting each other and giving it their all. This one is well worth a listen, and many more!
