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Review: 'Katie Knipp Band'
'Live Green Room Social Club'   

-  Label: 'Bandcamp'
-  Genre: 'Blues' -  Release Date: '10.6.22.'

Our Rating:
A live album is often the best way to sell me on a new blues act, as all great blues acts have to be able to play live to survive and thrive and Katie Knipp is no different. This album was recorded live in Placerville California. It is all original material taken from Katie Knipps previous albums and it sounds like a great show to have been at.

This show and cd opens with Peter Petty introducing Katie Knipp as they launch into Ya Make it So Hard To Sing The Blues a blowsy sultry blues about the hard scrabble that is trying to make it as a blues woman in the 21st century with a good brass section and a rather intoxicating vocal as well as a rather spry guitar solo this is a great set opener.

Parade Of Pain opens with a howling sax solo before Katie starts to sing this sad sorrowful tale of all the things currently causing her pain, the howls of anguish at all the mistreatment and suffering with a very Hound Dog Taylor style guitar solo from Chris Martinez, Katie gives a shout out to Otis Mourning after his sax threatens to steal the show momentarily.

Gone To Town is a slow strutting blues with smoky vocals and a sexy wiggle or two as a typically dark blues tale of violence and despair unfold against the almost stride piano parts as she seeks absolution from the guitar solo as the notes bend like the prison bars she wants to escape from.

Bluebird Street has echoes of Green Dolphin Street and is a slow careful blues with a soulful edge as she tries to find her way back to Bluebird Street as the musicians seem to be exploring the back streets trying to find there way without asking Mr Parker too many questions.

Katie introduces Another Round as being about going to New Orleans and meeting Allen Toussaint and it is of course a very New Orleans style blues song with a great clarinet part and some great shuffling piano and drums as she finds her Juju and parties all day and night long.

Better Me is a bayou blues gospel rouser as she begs the lord to take her away in the hope, she can find redemption and come back as a Better Me, which if she thinks there is anything wrong with her singing or playing I'd be shocked, as she has one hell of a great blues voice.

Release has far more of a country boogie blues feel to it and is far more upbeat like they are ready for a hoedown. The lyrics are far darker, as this song of heartbreak and whiskey gets going.

I Don't Sing For You opens with Zack Proteau's walking bass that's joined by Otis Mournings sax part as this song of heartbreak and the realities of feeling like you've been exploited by a former business partner/lover, this is slow dark blues with a David Sanbourn style sax solo.

The Gospel Of Good Intentions is a good old down home gospel blues with some gentle keyboards and heartfelt vocals full of pain and sorrow this almost needs a full choir behind it as the song slowly builds.

Come Back has some exploratory guitar interplay between Katie and Chris Martinez as this song of healing within a broken or breaking apart relationship slowly weaves its story and those guitars bicker and entice in equal measure as they hope to remain together forever, here's hoping she gets the love and redemption she’s seeking as this tune is well worthy of his love.

Quiet Hell is a pained jazzy blues of pain and despair and of course heartbreak again, One day she'll find the happiness she seeks, but for now the lady has to sing her blues away and we can take solace from hearing her belt them out.

The album and set concludes with Chamomile And Cocaine that sounds like a good yoyo mix with the chamomile chilling out the coke vibe and this goes on a bit of a rollercoaster musically too.

Find out more at https://katieknipp.com/ https://katieknipp.bandcamp.com/album/katie-knipp-live-at-the-green-room-social-club




  author: simonovitch

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