Nora jean Wallace blues woman

​Nora Jean Wallace (from the album BluesWoman available on Severn Records) (by Dave Steinfeld)
It’s ironic that the centerpiece of the new Nora Jean Wallace album Blueswoman is called “Victim” — because she comes across as a survivor more than anything else.  Wallace — who was formerly known as Nora Jean Bruso — is a longtime Chicago native but was actually born in Greenwood, Mississippi. She came from a musical family and has been singing since the ‘70s. But Blueswoman is her first album in ages — 16 years to be exact! Her previous effort, Going Back to Mississippi, was well received and even nominated for a BMA. Nora Jean Wallace left music not long after that to care for her ailing mother (who has since passed away). Like a lot of Blues singers, her life experience has informed her work.
 
Blueswoman was produced by David Earl, and released on his label, Severn Records. It finds Wallace in fine form, not just vocally but also as a songwriter (she penned four of the disc’s 10 tracks, including “Victim”).  She’s backed by a stellar group of musicians including Earl himself on guitar, Stanley Banks on keyboards and, on one song, Fabulous Thunderbirds leader Kim Wilson on harmonica. Beyond “Victim,” highlights include the title track, “Martell” and “I’ve Been Watching You.”  Nora Jean Wallace opens the latter song by telling a wayward lover, ‘Hey! Where you been? You said you was goin’ to get some cigarettes and that was 10 hours ago!… Where you been? Nope! Don’t give me that. You wasn’t over to your sister house. Your sister ain’t GOT no house!’  Throughout the album, she often plays the role of the jilted woman. But rather than being self-pitying, Wallace usually comes off as resilient and witty. A little more variation in tempo would have been nice, but that’s a minor quibble. Blueswomanmarks the return of a talented artist and proves that being a victim and a survivor are not mutually exclusive. (by Dave Steinfeld)
 
Listen and buy the music of Nora Jean Wallace from AMAZON
For more information head over to the Nora Jean Wallace website
 

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