Mama's Biscuits - Love Advice (2022)

Personnel:
Lead Vocals – Véronique Sauriat
Guitar, Dobro – Jérémie Tepper
Bass – Bruno Maurin, Christophe Garreau
Drums, Percussion – Philippe Floris
Keyboards – Bala Pradal
Harmonica – Vincent Bucher (tracks: 1, 5)
Organ – Lionel Borée (tracks: 8)
Saxophone – Didier Marty (tracks: 7, 11)

A decade without discographic news from these nominees for the 2005 France Blues Trophies… After a unanimously celebrated debut album that year (“Woman”), its successor had already taken seven years to complete. That is to say what meticulousness this group brings to its recordings, and this delay partly explains the slight variations that dot the line-up on these twelve new tracks. If the vocalist Véronique Sauriat remains resolutely in charge (and her lieutenants, the guitarist Jérémie Tepper, the keyboardist Bala Pradal and the drummer Philippe Floris in their respective positions), the no less faithful Bruno Maurin and Christophe Garreau divide up the bass parts here. with Hervé Guillet. And for cherries on the cookie, this album presents as distinguished guests the excellent harmonica player Vincent Bucher, as well as the saxophonist Didier Marty, and Lionel Borée on the organ on a title. From the adaptation of Nina Simone's “Do I Move You” which opens the ban, we measure that these stooges have not been idle, and seem more determined than ever to maintain the degree of requirement which establishes their reputation. In the vein of the Masters Walter Jacobs and Horton (as well as their emulators, the Musselwhite, Butterfield and Piazza), Bucher's solo is immediately breathtaking. Signed Sauriat and Tepper, the title track, "Run Baby" and HB Barnum's "I Don't Love You No More" reconnect with the rhythm n' blues vein that runs in their DNA, and the six strings of Jérémie demonstrate that they don't ignore big names like Jimmy Nolen or Steve Cropper either, while Pradal plays it Booker T. and Didier Marty, Junior Walker. The rest is divided between brilliantly revisited standards (“Baby Please Don't Go” in mambo, “Need Your Love So Bad” by Little Willie John Fleetwood Mac style without the violins, but with a sparkling Tepper, or the “No One” of Pomus and Shuman in vintage ragtime, a pretext for Bucher to have a field day in this outdated register) and well-packaged originals (including two titles in French). On the concluding “Going Home”, Jérémie Tepper pays a strong tribute to the late BB King, and in addition to the ample and warm sound recording provided by Lionel Borée, it is necessary to underline the superb artwork produced by the painter and photographer Alain Bertrand (encouraging to opt for for the vinyl format, even if it means framing it in the living room). If self-productions now display this level of professionalism, labels just have to behave themselves. ~Patrick Dlongville