Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Having heard too many live albums by established artists that are clearly a cheapish way of putting out a new album while they think about writing new material, I approached this one with a certain reluctance. But it in fact shows the blind singer/pianist in an excellent light as with her regular on-the-road guitarist, bassman and drummer she creates a relaxed, intimate mood of warm bonhomie and no little artistry. Recorded at the House Of The Blues club in New Orleans, (hey, Mr Publicist, please leave off the overused "legendary" description) this shows previously unsuspected blues and jazz influences in Ginny's approach while that deliciously acrobatic voice (beautifully close mic-ed here) and the stripped down accompaniments bring a new vibe to her old hits. In fact, having long rated "I Wanna Be Moved" from her album debut it's a revelation to hear the song here without the ricocheting electro-beat and realise what a gem it is. (It's also good to hear most of the lyrics - Ginny has long been a singer whose eccentric enunciation effectively obscures many of her best lines.) If that last observation seems a tad hard and likely to hurt the dear lass, Ginny assures the audience on the spoken intro to "Call Me Beautiful" that she doesn't read reviews of her albums. Her interaction with her road seasoned musos is excellent - there's even a bass solo on "I Love The Way" while her singing, like on the goose-bump inducing "If You Want Me To" is all but faultless. Also, her bluesy cover of Lenny Kravitz's "Let Love Rule" is fun. As a bonus, there's a new song "Live Once", a taster from Ginny's forthcoming studio album. A thoroughly engaging set from an increasingly confident singer/songwriter.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.