CANDYE KANE "SUPERHERO" Source: Blues & Rhythm Date: 06/2009 Writer: Phil Wight

Candye Kane: Superhero

West Coast blues diva Candye Kane was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February of 2008, this CD is evidence that thankfully she made it through the treatment and is back even sassier and in-yer-face as before!

Candye produced with her guitarist, the excellent Laura Chavez co-helming, and penned ten out of the fifteen cuts on offer (with co-writer credits to Chavez on several songs). Understandably the disc opens with ‘Superhero’, the first song she wrote after surgery. Kane believes that women are the real superheroes, the torchbearers and foundations of the world. Well, you may agree or disagree with that sentiment, but it’s a rough, tough vocal performance, complemented by Jonny Viau’s tenor sax.

‘Hey! Toughen Up!’ is sure to become an audience pleaser, a swinging stop time blues with Kane’s vox backed by a pared down outfit of bass, drums, and guitar. ‘I’m A Bad Bad Girl’ (writer Gladyces De Jesus) is full of swagger and innuendo (having seen her live I can attest that Candye is indeed a bad girl!). ‘You Need Love’ features a fine guitar performance from the seriously underrated Laura Chavez on Willie Dixon’s composition, originally penned for Muddy.

‘I Like ‘Em Stacked Like That’ features Delta Groove label mate Mitch Kashmar on vocals, the next cut,  ‘Till You Go Too Far’ features his blues harp on a Jack Tempchin song (never heard of him? – neither had I but apparently he is a well respected tunesmith who has written songs for the Eagles among others): ‘Most of my friends are losers, but I love them the way they are; how do you know if you’ve gone far enough, baby till you go too far’ – I like the sound of that!

‘I Didn’t Listen To My Heart’ revisits the early sixties with a pop blues, I can hear Brenda Lee singing this one. ‘Throw It In The Trash Can Love’ nods to rock‘n’roll with Dave Gonzales’s baritone guitar doing the Hank Marvin bit and Jonny Viau providing the honkery. ‘I’m Gonna Be Just Fine’ is one minutes worth of Kane’s solo voice proclaiming that she is still with us and ‘she is gonna be just fine’.

Like blueswomen before her, Kane is not afraid of her past and is not reticent about proclaiming her sexuality, what you see (and hear) is what you get, you may not like it, and some may even find it uncomfortable, but she should be acclaimed for her honesty. Superhero? well she may not be Superman but she certainly is in the running for the mantle of Superblueswoman!