Denise La Grassa ~ ~ Sundown Rising
Okay, if I’m being honest, this was another performer that I knew nothing about prior to her new disc, Sundown Rising, landing in my inbox. It came from a publicist that I trust and he told me that I would like it.
He was wrong. I love it.
Denise La Grassa is the real deal. She lives and performs mainly in the Chicago area and is in great demand. Aside from her regular appearances in clubs in the Windy City, she branches out to other hot spots in the Midwest and has another couple of CDs that she has released previously.
Her resume doesn’t read like the average blues performers. I doubt many blues artists had a career working in improv comedy, but La Grassa was a member of the Second City touring company, traveling all over the country making people laugh. She stepped out on her own after that and quickly gained a reputation for her voice and for her outstanding showmanship.
The album starts off with the title track, Sundown Rising. The lyrics are poetry and the backing musicians pour their soul into each note. This is my first exposure to Denise La Grassa, and I am not disappointed. She has a dark voice that made the hair stand up on the back of my head. If the rest of the album is like this, this will be on my “Best Of” list.
La Grasse transitions to None Of Your Business and the drums usher us into the world of the song. The guitar sounds jazzy and when her vocals come it, there’s a strong rush headlong into an exciting number.
Hope In Love is a powerful funk blues number that is optimistic in its evaluation of love. “It’s what we live for, it’s what we die for.” It’s quirky and upbeat and the rhythm section gets a real workout during the song. It’s crunchy and I’m sure it’s a real crowd pleaser as La Grassa’s husky whiskey voice adds so much to the song.
La Grasse gets down and gritty on Key To The Highway. Her low notes drop precipitously and there is some good harmonica work that should satisfy the most discriminating blues fan. This is a solid number and should find its way onto a number of playlists.
La Grasse picks up the tempo with Vision Of Good Rule Makers. The drums get a real workout on this song and don’t miss a beat. The guitar run is sweet and adds a nice touch as does the chording of the organ. The high energy is a nice change of pace and there’s a Gospel drive to the song. Good song!
The Door is a beautiful ballad that showcases La Grassa’s sumptuous vocals and a stripped-down arrangement. The deceptive simplicity of the song makes it a standout on the album. I’m sure I’ll be playing this one sooner than later.
There is a nice bass intro to Sweet Talk that quickly adds drums and guitar and turns into a delicious jazz number. La Grassa’s vocals have been exciting throughout the album, and she delivers another outstanding performance on this song. I’m delighted by her tone and look forward to hearing more from her soon.
The next song, Quit Your Whining, is short but powerful. La Grassa tells the person to whom she is addressing, “Quit your whining before I quit you.” In a difficult world there is so much to be concerned about, she doesn’t have time to listen to petty complaints. It’s got a fast tempo and good lyrics.
She ends the album with Loving For Love’s Sake, and it’s a good way to sum up the experience.
Denise La Grassa may not have been on my radar previously, but she is firmly on it now. Her voice is powerful but not overly so. She has good control of her instrument and knows what the song calls for.
According to her upcoming show page on her website, she tends to stay near her home in Chicago, so if you are lucky enough to live in the area, keep an eye out for one of her shows and let me know how she does live.
I bet it’s a killer performance.
For the rest of us, I’m going back to her store page and drop a few bucks on her earlier CDs. You can’t have too much from this talented performer.