Skip to content
Elly Roberts reviews
Swing Café
- Released: March 2005
- Rating: 6/10
- Cat.no: SWING 003
Shaking off the shackles of her pop ballads, Elkie Brooks(born Elaine Bookbinder 25 Feb 1945) goes full circle and reverts back to base.
In response from fans on her website to record a Blues album, Elkie has gonesome way to appease them. Its evolved into a far more eclectic selection thanexpected-folk, ballads, rhythm & blues and blues.
The female equivalent of Rod Stewart, smokey voiced Elkie Brooks hits all theright notes on Electric Lady (maybe it should have been Eclectic Lady),as she returns to her roots whilst with Vinegar Joe.
This eleven-tracker will no doubt be picked up by BBC Radio 2 programme controllers.Although Im familiar with the hit singles, Pearls A Singer,Lilac Wineand No More The Fool, this is my first dip into one of her non-secularalbums: and its a pleasant surprise.
Co-written and produced by Jermaine Jordan, the pair have come up with songs ofreal substance, perfectly suiting her distinctive voice.
Awash with unpretentious and lush production, the tracks have an earthyambience led by her wistful singing which spans the entire collection.
Musicianship is predictably top-drawer (check guitar on Hes So Good Lookingand Roadhouse Blues).
Its unlikely to spawn big hit singles, except possibly Hes So Good Looking.Nevertheless its great return to form. As the song title suggests – shes awhite girl lost in the blues. Top tracks: The Brighter Side, Try Harder.
Welcome home Elkie.
Weblink: Elkie-Brooks.com (for 2005 UK tour dates and venues)
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Electric Lady
2. So Good Looking
3. Try Harder
4. Roadhouse Blues
5. White Girl Lost In The Blues
6. The Grooms Still Waiting At The Alter7. Back Away
8. Muddy Water Blues
9. The Brighter Side
10. Out Of The Rain
11. Trailer Trash
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.