CANDYE KANE "SISTER VAGABOND" Source: Blues In Britain Date: 08/2011 Writer: Mike Rainsford

"Sister Vagabond"

Candye Kane’s follow-up to her impressive “Superhero” is yet another triumph for one of the most talented artists on the blues/roots/Americana scene today – in fact “Sister Vagabond” surpasses her Delta Groove debut, which again is a triumph in itself.

Once again Kane is joined by “guitar-meister and female Kid Ramos”, Laura Chavez, whose fretwork is a revelation, enhancing every track – and when you add in gests like James Harman, sue Palmer, Nathan James, Stephen Hodges and Johnny Viau (amongst others) you know you are in for a musical treat.

Kane is not only a great singer but a superb song-writer as well, writing 9 of the 13 tracks on this set, with 4 well-chosen covers rounding out a CD that can’t fail to impress.

Kane opens with a raunchy cover of Maxwell Davis’s “I Love To Love You” on which both she and Chavez shine – segueing into “Love Insurance” which has a 60’s Tamla feel with the addition of Memphis styled horns.  In the liner notes Kane says that she wanted to deliver a “greasier” version of Brenda Lee’s “Sweet Nothin’s” and she succeeds, proving herself a new “Miss Dynamite” – Chavez adding to the “greasier” adjective by embellishing the song with swampy Rudi Richards’ styled guitar.  I was reminded of Lee again on “I Deserve Love” which has a “Sitting On Top Of The World” feel that is enhanced by Billy Watson’s Sonny terry styled harp.

“You Never Cross My Mind” has a swinging Rockabilly feel replete with cascading piano (Sue Palmer) and Cliff Gallup styled guitar from Chavez – the mention of Gallup leading me into “Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody Tonight” where Kane sounds like a “blue” female Gene Vincent, the blues accentuated by Harman’s superb harp.  “You Can’t Take It Back From Here” stays in a blues vein with Kane’s powerhouse vocals echoed by Chavez’s Otis Rush styled guitar – whilst Bo Diddley meets Zachary Richards on “Have A Nice Day” with it’s honky-tonk piano, wild sax and trombone, accordion and Frattoire.

Add in the superb harmonies on Kane’s duet with David Mosby on the swinging classic blues stylings of “Side Dish” – the “vocal group” R&B feel of “You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore” – and the wistful vocals and slide that permeate Steve White’s “Down With the Blues”, and you have a set that can only come as highly recommended for music lovers of all persuasions.

Rating 10