Candye
Kane (featuring Laura Chavez) - Coming Out Swinging (Sister
Cynic/Vizztone)
Although there’s a clue in the
title, the first bars of ‘Coming Out Swinging’ should still surprise long-time
admirers of punk-babe-turned-blues-shouter Candye Kane. Her recent releases
such as 2011’s ‘Sister Vagabond’ have hinted at a growing jazz bias; but the
full-on big band commitment of both the title track and Benny Goodman’s ‘Rock
Me To Sleep’ (which follows hard on its heels) seems a radical departure from
her more familiar blues and soul catalogue.
Once normal service is restored,
with the Bessie Smith influenced ‘I’m the Reason Why You Drink’ and the rocking
‘Rise Up’, the opening salvo stands as a wholly appropriate introduction to a
set of songs which combine characteristic world-weariness and an indefatigable
sense of resilience with an insistence that a good time can still be had, regardless
of it all. Kane’s personal performance across all styles is variously raunchy,
raw and smouldering; a consistent and emphatic reminder that she is one of
modern music’s genuine divas.
Recorded live in the studio with a
strong supporting cast led by Laura Chavez, a guitarist of outstanding
versatility, this may be the most impressive collection so far
of her twelve-album plus career; and with the momentum behind her, the promise
of even better to come.
Neil B.
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