The liner notes to this record proclaim that Michelle Willson will take over the crown, worn for many years by Dinah Washington, as the next queen of the blues. While that may be a bit of an overstatement, Willson does have great vocal ability, which she shows off here on her debut. Backed by the jump blues band Evil Gal, Willson shows her range by smoking through songs associated with her idols (Washington and Ruth Brown), such as "Voodoo Voodoo" and "I Know How to Do It," then doing a complete turn-around and giving ...
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The liner notes to this record proclaim that Michelle Willson will take over the crown, worn for many years by Dinah Washington, as the next queen of the blues. While that may be a bit of an overstatement, Willson does have great vocal ability, which she shows off here on her debut. Backed by the jump blues band Evil Gal, Willson shows her range by smoking through songs associated with her idols (Washington and Ruth Brown), such as "Voodoo Voodoo" and "I Know How to Do It," then doing a complete turn-around and giving beautiful readings of such classics as "At Last" and "Cry Me a River." She may not have reached the dizzying heights of her great influences, but with this fine debut, Willson is well on her way. ~ Steve Kurutz, Rovi
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