Vanessa Collier-Heart On The Line
Multi award winning saxophonist Vanessa Collier has just released her crowd funded 4th album, a follow up to the critically acclaimed Honey Up from 2018. Heart On The Line has 8 original songs with Vanessa writing the music and lyrics, as well as 3 ‘covers’, On the album, she plays alto, tenor, soprano, and baritone sax’s, resonator guitar, and of course, vocals. She is supported by Nick Stevens on percussion, Laura Chavez on electric guitar, CC Ellis on most tracks, with bass, Will Gorman, on a range of keyboards, and finally, a bit more brass with Quinn Carson on Trombone, and Doug Woolverton on trumpet. That’s a pretty substantial band, and the album reflects that very effectively. Those fortunate to have seen Vanessa when she toured with Ruf’s Blues Caravan, will have a damned good idea what to expect.
“There’s a young lady [Vanessa Collier] came onstage with me, I forget where I was, but she’s playing an alto saxophone, and man, she was amazing.” – Buddy Guy
The album opens with one of those covers, James Brown’s ‘Superbad’, and boy does she funk this one up to the limit, voiced beautifully, over a horn fortified rhythm, but then she lets rip on her alto, superbad, is supergood.
Vanessa picks up her resonator, and gets to work on the superb Mississippi blues of, ‘Bloodhound’, released from prison, sat on the porch, he hears nothing but the howl of the dogs that are on his trail. wonderful stuff, traditional blues delivered to a modern world. ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’, a well worn classic, gets the Collier treatment, full on funk fuelled, with the brass breathing in underneath, she adds a Tenor lead, but not until she has wowed you with her vocal range.
Bass riven, badassed blues, ‘Take A Chance On Me’, has some great riffs from Chavez, Collier is in sassy mood, delivery the lyrics with a swaggering confidence.
The rhythm drops to a slow burning blues, New Orleans horns bleed through, ‘Weep And Moan’, is a stupendous dirge, conjuring in my mind, an Orleans funeral procession, before it bursts out into a street party. Don’t let that put you off, its worth the cost of an album just for this.
Naturally, there’s plenty to please the soul lovers, a little Americana, and some country blues. The album closes on title, ‘Heart On The Line’, Vanessa Collier, is going home, kicking her shoes off, pouring a glass of red wine, I can’t fault that, a lovely bit of New Orleans swing that’s infectious.
All in, an excellent album, Collier proves herself an adept vocalist, along with showing her ability on the resonator acoustic, unquestionably, a sexy, sultry, sax goddess, and a talented writer lyricist.
2. What Makes You Beautiful
4. I Don’t Want Anything To Change
Tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 written by Vanessa Collier.
© Instruments of Peace Publishing/Vanessa Collier
℗ Phenix Fire Records/Vanessa Collier
https://www.vanessacollier.com/
