Travelin' Light is an album by the American musician Zora Young.[2][3] Young supported the album by playing shows with her band, the Blues Posse.[4]
| Travelin' Light | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Recorded | September 1991 | |||
| Studio | Tundra | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Deluge[1] | |||
| Producer | Randy Labbe | |||
| Zora Young chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Randy Labbe.[5] Young wrote the majority of its songs, many of which address the concerns of her female listeners.[6][7] Pinetop Perkins played piano.[8][9] Colin Linden played guitar.[10] The album contains covers of "Key to the Highway" and "Queen Bee".[11][6] "Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones" is a new version of a song Young had previously recorded.[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| The Buffalo News |  [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [6] |
The Edmonton Journal wrote that Young "infuses Chicago style blues with conviction, gospel influences and dead on timing," and called the songs "really pungent poetic gems not without her own sense of wit."[14] The Washington Post determined that "in addition to her commanding and heartfelt vocals, Young contributes a series of songs to the album that have a decidedly personal and sometimes defiant edge."[11]
AllMusic wrote: "With the focus on Young's brassy original material, this is one modern blues album that's a winner all the way."[13]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Daughter of a Son-of-a-Gun" | |
| 2. | "Travelin' Light" | |
| 3. | "Girlfriend" | |
| 4. | "Queen Bee" | |
| 5. | "Key to the Highway" | |
| 6. | "Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones" | |
| 7. | "Country Girl Returns" | |
| 8. | "Football Widow" | |
| 9. | "Brain Damage" | |
| 10. | "Dirty Mama Jama" |
References
edit- ^ Hadley, Frank-John (September 19, 1993). The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD. Grove Press.
- ^ Komara, Edward; Lee, Peter (July 19, 2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Routledge.
- ^ Meara, Emmet (21 Nov 1996). "Pianist Perkins, 83, has earned respect". Bangor Daily News. p. 1.
- ^ Dahl, Bill (28 May 1993). "Blues at 10". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
- ^ "Album reviews — Travelin' Light by Zora Young". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 10. Mar 6, 1993. p. 54.
- ^ a b c The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 735.
- ^ Bruening, John C. (December 4, 1996). "Houseful of Blues Fans Loved Havin' Their Hearts Broken". The Plain Dealer. p. 11B.
- ^ Corbett, John (Mar 1993). "Booge woogie patriach: Pinetop Perkins". DownBeat. Vol. 60, no. 3. p. 32.
- ^ Corbett, John (September 19, 1994). Extended Play: Sounding Off from John Cage to Dr. Funkenstein. Duke University Press.
- ^ a b Ploetz, Elmer (February 26, 1993). "Women's Work". The Buffalo News. p. G29.
- ^ a b Joyce, Mike (18 June 1993). "The Distinctive Mark of Zora Young". The Washington Post. p. N9.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 849.
- ^ a b "Zora Young Travelin' Light". AllMusic.
- ^ Levesque, Roger (15 Feb 1993). "Roots". Edmonton Journal. p. B5.