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Karen Lovely - Lucky Girl

Pretty Pear Records, 2008

www.karenlovely.com

I first heard Karen Lovely at the Annual WBS Picnic and was immediately impressed by her remarkable vocals. I was already aware that Karen’s band would be representing the CBA in Memphis January 2010 at the IBC and now I knew why. Karen and the band took second place at the 2010 competition.

Lucky Girl features mostly cover songs from the song books of Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, BB King, Willie Dixon and more, performed by three different line-ups.

The two originals were co-written by Burbank guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Alan Mirikitani aka BB Chung King (who also performs on those two tracks and several others) and alsoGrammy Award winning producer, songwriter (Robert Cray, BB King, Maria Muldaur, Joe Louis Walker) Dennis Walker. Both tracks also feature Jimmy Pugh-piano, organ and Richard Cousins-bass, both also of Robert Cray fame.

Lucky Girl was partially recorded at Alan’s Dawghouse Studio and Alan & Dennis mixed and mastered the entire project there as well.

A jazzy blues rhumba version of “You Don’t Move Me” features a sweet sax solo by Michael Vannice and the lyric ‘you don’t move me daddy, so move on down the road.’ Check out Karen’s siren vocals on this dazzling version of the John Lee Hooker classic “Boom Boom,” I am sure Hook would approve whole heartedly.

The slow shuffle “It’s Too Late” has a subdued guitar solo and Karen’s sultry vocals make this number really stand out. The slow grind of BB King’s “Rock Me” simply oozes sex and Michael’s baritone sax makes this track a winner.

Ashland, OR is well known for its annual summer long Shakespeare Festival and will soon be well known for the very talented Karen Lovely Band, which is a force to be reckoned with.

Reviewer Malcolm "Yard Dog" Kennedy is a frequent contributor to the Washington Blues Society Bluesletter, and he is the former Vice President and Merchandise Director of the society. He is the co-author of the profile published in the 2009 Blues Festival Guide, which recognized the WBS for its Keeping the Blues Alive Award. Malcolm volunteers at the society's monthly all-ages Blues Bashes and at many festivals and special events promoting the blues in the Pacific Northwest.

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