Michelle Willson - So Emotional (1996) [CD Rip]

Michelle Willson is a shouting blues singer with plenty of sass who is quite assertive and not shy about talking about her desires and feelings, some of which are fairly obvious. This CD is full of extroverted singing with fine backup from a '50s style jump-blues group that plays in the vein of Roomful of Blues. There are a liberal amount of tenor and guitar solos and some of the music really cooks. Highlights include "Better Left Unsaid" (whose lyrics change direction in a surprising way), the double entendre "Long John Blues" (the usual tale about visiting a dentist), a rare remake of Bobby Troup's "The Girl Can't Help It" (from the Jayne Mansfield movie of the same name) and the jubilant "Strange Things Are Happening Everyday." There is plenty of fun goodtime music on this often-rollicking and easily recommended set from the thus far underrated Michelle Willson. ~Scott Yanow