Blues Caravan: Guitars & Feathers

Deborah Coleman, Candye Kane, Dani Wilde | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RUF RECORDS
• ASIN: B00190KZ4G
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,042 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to three blues women. It grew on me., April 7, 2009

By 

Sandy Kay (Twin Cities, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blues Caravan: Guitars & Feathers (Audio CD)

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It took me awhile to warm up to this CD, but I'm glad I gave it the chance because there are parts of it that are quite good. My first reaction was "meh." It was OK, but nothing special, especially for a live album. There didn't seem to be the kind of interaction with the audience that can make a live album unique and make up for the introductions & applause interruptions. Maybe the German audience was too restrained; maybe it wasn't the right combination of performers (it took me a few times listening to be able to tell them apart); maybe it was the pacing of the sets.

The concert was set up into sets. The first song included all three women (and is pretty much forgettable) and then Dani Wilde has a four-song set. At 21, she is the youngest of the three performers and probably the least well known. Because of her age, her voice still has some maturing left to go. She also has a habit of putting in some high squeals I could definitely do without. She wrote all the songs in her set and for the most part they were very good. A couple sound too much alike and one of them is too big for where her voice is now. She is an excellent guitar player and that makes her an interesting performer I'll want to keep watching as she matures. The best song in her set, and maybe my favorite of the album, is "I Love You More Than I Hate Myself." It would be worth buying the download of this track.

The next set belonged to Candye Kane who has the biggest & best voice of the three. She wrote three of the five songs in her set, including the infectiously fun "You Need A Great Big Woman," during which she encouraged the skinny people in the audience to eat more schnitzel and strudel so they wouldn't feel left out. Though Ms. Kane is strictly a vocalist, there was no lack of guitar playing during her set. Laura Chavez proved herself at least the equal of Dani Wilde and Deborah Coleman.

After Candye Kane, the beginning of Deborah Coleman's set was a let down in energy. Ms. Coleman wrote only the first song in her short solo set. The liner notes are a major shortcoming with this album. There is no indication which artists are on which tracks. The best two tracks in what I believe are in Deborah Coleman's set, "Fight" and "Jesus Left Chicago," seem to include at least one other member of the Caravan. Those two songs are worth buying the download if you don't want the whole album.

I really enjoyed the album from "Fight" to nearly the end of the album. "Rocking on the Blues Caravan" sounded like a short encore and isn't as good an ending as if they had stopped with "Whole Lotta Love," which has a whole lotta solos from Ms. Kane, the three guitarists and the keyboard player.

After listening to it many times, I do enjoy this CD but the parts are better than the whole. I'm going to put my favorite tracks on my MP3 player in an order that makes sense to me and leave the CD on my shelf.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid Good-Time Blues Shuffles, March 26, 2009

By 

Michael Strom (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blues Caravan: Guitars & Feathers (Audio CD)

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This CD is representative of the modern live blues that you would hear at good Chicago Blues clubs. It is almost entirely the sort of good-time uptempo rocking shuffles that made Alligator Records what it was founded to be (this CD isn't on Alligator, but it's the sort of stuff Bruce Iglauer loves). The songs are well played, well sung by tough gals. The backing band is solid, and lead guitarist Laura Chavez sounds like someone I'd like to hear more. Maybe she will get a shot on her own CD down the road.

As someone who has spent many an enjoyable evening at blues clubs, I must say a lot of the reviews of this CD are unfair and off the mark. This is intended as good-time music to drink by, and it does that just fine. Not the sort of depth fans of the Mississippi Delta generation bluesmen brought, but that era is gone.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Mighty Fine Blues Women, March 4, 2009

By 

Maggie Mae (Reno, Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues Caravan: Guitars & Feathers (Audio CD)

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This CD features three female blues singers from the Ruf label. They each do excellent short sets and they are rocking, frolicking good. I can truly imagine that they rocked the house down. My favorite song on the CD is Candye Kane singing "Something's Got a Hold of Me", but all the songs are good.

If you're into the blues, this is a good CD to try out. The sets mesh together almost as if they were meant to. Wait! They were. If it was the attention of the people at Ruf Records to get me interested in these three blues women, and I'm sure it was, they've succeeded. This CD not only showcases the talents of Deborah Coleman, Candye Kane and Dani Wilde, it's also a mighty good blues CD to boot. A CD that belongs in any Blues Lovers collection.