Jul 2024 Val Starr & The Blues Rocket “To The Blues And Back Again”
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Artista / Grupo: Val Starr & The Blues Rocket
Álbum: “To The Blues And Back Again”
Discográfica: Sandwich Factory Records
Año publicación: 2024
Fecha crítica: 07/2024
Valoración: VERY GOOD
Sitio web: http://www.valstarr.com
Singer and guitar player Val Starr publishes her seventh album, one of the most personal ones in her career, not only due to the song lyrics that tell us about sadness, disappointments and life failures but also about gratitude for the happiness moments, but also because Val includes a variety of styles she feels most comfortable with, like ballads, shuffles, jump blues, swing, rock blues and Americana, styles that allow to introduce herself with her own personality and communicate the experiences of how she conceives and lives the blues.
Val started playing guitar at the age of twelve, following in the footsteps of artists like Carole King and Joni Mitchell and 60’s and 70’s bands. In 1983 she married bass player John Ellis, forming a happy family up to date. Together they started a career both as a duo or joining different bands and, for years, they didn’t stop to work and play almost seven days a week. In 2010, tired of this kind of life, they decided to retire and only participate in local jams. That helped them to meet new musicians and finally they decided to form their own band and come back on stage.
As its title suggests, this album marks Val and John’s return to the front line. Val now wants to show himself as she is, without imitating other artists, which she fully gets, thanks to the sincerity and spontaneity displayed along the thirteen own compositions that make up the recording.
Besides Vall Starr on vocals and guitar, the band includes John Ellis on bass, Timothy Brisson on lead guitar, Frankie Munz on harmonica, Pamela Charlles Arthur on keyboards and Kirk Hooper on drums. The album also features some guests like Marty Deradoorian and Saxophone Zot on sax, guitar players Dave Segal, Stephen Kimball and B. Christopher and drummer Darrell Echols.