Janiva Magness – Back For Me
This showcase is the newest by Grammy Award-nominated blues singer Janiva Magness (vocals/bgv). A 7-time Blues Music Awards winner who now has a beautifully designed 6-panel CD package. Filled with 10 lesser-known blues compositions Back For Me (Drops March 28/Blue Elan Records/41:07) is Janiva’s 17th LP.
Produced by Dave Darling (guitar/bgv) the set features 3 guitar guests Joe Bonamassa Sue Foley & Jesse Dayton. The LP features varied songs that dive liberally into blues, soul & Americana. Some of the music found on this intriguing display are rediscoveries by Janiva—tunes by Bill Withers, Ray LaMontagne, Allen Toussaint, Doyle Bramlett III & Tracy Nelson.
Typically, the songs deal with heartbreak, heartache, self-awareness & accountability. Hey, that’s different for a blues singer. No murders, cheating, in the drunk tank, or left on the side of the road with thumbs out?
I’ll get the generalities out of the way – Janiva is a blues natural & has all the necessary nuances, muscle & character that make her a superior blues artist. No, she isn’t going to sound like Bessie Smith or Big Mama Thornton. She does have shades of Genya Ravan (Ten Wheel Drive), with rural blues tints similar to Bonnie Bramlett (Delaney & Bramlett) & Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth) & pipes comparable to Karen Lawrence (1994/Blue By Nature). Janiva, however, is just below the surface of the rugged & raw performers like the late Janis Joplin & Candy Givens (Zephyr).
However, the thick heavy blues aspects of her repertoire are obvious in pieces like “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh,” which is penetrating. The drive’s exuberant & the enthusiasm bounces through every note. I like the sarcasm in the title. Or is it?
Janiva never sounds like she’s using a formulaic blues map. She puts a signature spin on every tune with a voice that has authority in attitude & tonality. The arrangements are safely constrained to prevent bombastic showboating outbreaks. The songs are rooted in a strongly textured identity. Nothing’s weighty.
As close as blues come to a pop song “Holes” achieves because it’s catchy with a broad-based riff. The Tracy Nelson classic “Down So Low” is rendered with lots of voltage, slinky & seductive. Not as blues-countrified as Nelson’s original but equally compelling.
Take two shots of Janiva’s blues & always have some ice water on the side as a chaser.
Highlights –“Masterpiece,” “Back For Me,” “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh,” “Holes,” “I Was Good To You Baby” & “Down So Low.”
Musicians – Ian Walker (bass), Sasha Smith (Wurlitzer/Hammon B3/piano) & W.F. Quinn Smith (drums) with TJ Norton (harp), Nick Mayberry, John Schroeder & Robert Ortiz (guitars), Phil Parlapiano ((Wurlitzer/Hammon B3), Bernie Barlow & Allen Sovory (bgv).
Color image from Janiva’s Facebook. CD at Amazon & https://www.janivamagness.com/ & https://blueelan.com/products/back-for-me-lp-catalog-bundle
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Interview: Janiva Magness on Defining Americana, Trust, and Music as Wind in People’s Sails
