Zora Young - Learned My Lesson (2000)
Zora Young - Learned My Lesson (2000)
1 Pity Party 4:51 2 The Lord Helps Those Who Help Themselves 5:59 3 Nutbush City Limits 3:51 4 Better Off With The Blues 6:14 5 Girl Friend 3:09 6 Blues Fallin' Down Like Rain 5:03 7 My Man's An Undertaker 4:07 8 Damn Your Eyes 4:33 9 Learned My Lesson 5:18 10 Brain Damage 5:19 11 Living In The U.S.A. 3:38 12 Please Send Me Someone To Love 5:37 13 Feel Like Stroking 4:59 14 Johnny B. 5:03 Backing Vocals, Arranged By – Roberta Thomas (tracks: 1,2,3,12) Bass – Johnny Gayden Drums – Tim Austin Guitar – Danny Draher (tracks: 2,3,8,9,13,14), James Wheeler (tracks: 1,4,5,7,10,11) Piano, Organ – Ken Saydak Tenor Saxophone – John Brumbach (tracks: 6,8,14) Vocals – Zora Young
All the songs played in Chicago blues clubs don't necessarily have 12 bars. Many of Chicago's blues singers are also R&B and/or rock singers, and Zora Young is a prime example. Based in Chi-Town but originally from Mississippi, the expressive singer provides an enjoyable, if derivative, blues/soul/rock mix on her 2000 date Learned My Lesson. Young is far from a blues purist -- while "My Man's an Undertaker" and Young originals like the humorous "Pity Party" are straight-up urban blues, she confidently detours into soul and rock territory on "Girl Friend" (another Young original) and sweaty performances of Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits" and Chuck Berry's "Living in the U.S.A." Meanwhile, Young draws heavily on her gospel background on a passionate version of Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love." No one will accuse Young of being an innovator; drawing on such influences as Koko Taylor and Etta James, she is quite derivative. But a CD doesn't have to be groundbreaking to be likable, and Learned My Lesson is a CD that's easy to like. ---Alex Henderson, AllMusic Review
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