Skip to content
DVDfever.co.uk – Jo Ann Kelly: Do It & More CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Manhaton Records
- Released: January 2009
- Rating: 10/10+
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
Posthumous release from South London blues super-singer.
In my time with Jo Ann as a musician and partner, and for many years following her death, I felt that the very best of her voice, which I had heard so many times in live performances, was rarely captured on record. Peter Emery, October 2008.
Its now 18 years since her untimely death aged 46.
The sister of The Blues Band guitarist Dave Kelly, they often performed on projects together.Here she gets her wonderful repertoire a dust-down, with dazzling results, showing she could handle blues, country and gospel.
This re-issue of her 1976 album Do It (unavailable for 30years and never as a CD) finally surfaces as the result of several mixed-bag compilations not doing full justice to her work. Extra tracks * are from Open in 1988.Recorded as one album with musicians she worked with during the period Pete Emery, John Pilgrim, Mike Piggot, Geraint Watkins and Steve Donnelly, it captures her pristine unique voice. Above all, she has the haunting quality and timbre of early American black Blues masters like Blind Lemon Jefferson, wishing not to be too disrespectful. Her upper registers are a thing of wonder. Its tonal value is comparable with legends like Dinah Washington and Rosetta Tharpe. She turned out to be everything Memphis Minnie aimed to be.
Canned Heat once tried to recruit her. It was no thanks, Im staying in England.
The mood is that of the 30s: not even established greats like Clapton, Rea, BBKing et al , have managed that.On first listen you think theres a peculiar youthful male thing going on here, which is quite remarkable. It soon emerges its a gal.Whether its the stunning a capella Boll Weevil, or the jaunty Nothing And Rambling it matches the compositions and lo-fi approach to absolute perfection. Her a capella take on trad Death Have Mercy would slip neatly into the Oh, Brother Where Art Though? soundtrack.
Originals are Little More Time, River Jordan, with Kelly doing traditional arrangements of Sugar Babe, Moon Going Down, Boll Weevil, and Death Have Mercy. Moby would have a field-day with the latter.The quality of musicianship is predictably outstanding. Kelly plays both 12 and 6 string guitars in maestro mode, though one of the many highlights is Emerys masterful slide guitar on Cant Be Satisfied. She also tackles a jaunty country shuffle Black Rat Swing (featured on 2003s 2 CD set) with equal measure.
Choosing a best song is really tough. So I will. The spiritually stirring and rustic River Jordan wins, again with Emery on top form using bottle-neck. Moon Going Down is a close second. Third comes Boll Weevil, bringing back memories of Come On In My Kitchen (1936) by King Of The Blues Robert Johnson.
The Verdict: Best ever British blues-woman. Get it now.
Radio: Hear tracks soon onwrexhamfm.com Weblink:manhatonrecords.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Where Is My Good Man?
2. Come Back Baby
3. Me And My Chauffer Blues
4. Moon Going Down *
5. Boll Weevil
6. Nothing And Rambling
7. Little More Time
8. Do It
9. Black Rat Swing
10. River Jordan
11. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
12. Cant Be Satisfied
13. Death Have Mercy *
14. Walking The Dog
15. Sugar Babe *
16. Rising Sun ShineView the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
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.