Gina Sicilia – Allow Me To Confess (Swingnation Records).
Philadelphian Gina Sicilia is a new voice on the blues scene and she is making waves already. That’s A Pretty Good Love is a swinging opening with Sicilia unleashing her big voice on the song many will associate with Big Maybelle. I Ain’t Crazy is a big band blues with a great horn section. The guitarist, Dave Gross, plies his trade well and Gina is powerful again. Try Me is a slinky blues, originally sung by Esther Phillips with Karel Ruzicka Jr and Rob Chaseman on sax are on form. One Of Many sees the introduction of Dennis Gruenling on harmonica for this upbeat song. It’s blues but it does flirt with the jazz side. Pushover has a 60s feel and Gina does a great job of covering this Etta James song.
The self-penned Rest Of My Days is soulful and you can sense influences such as Otis Redding. The second half of the album is written solely by Sicilia and the eponymous title track is a grinding soulful blues with jagged guitar from Gross. You Set My Heart On Fire is a sultry nightclub blues with Matt Stewart’s muted trumpet under a raunchy vocal. Bass (Scott Hornick), drums (Mike Bram) and guitar (Dave Gross) are all understated – gorgeous. There Lies A Better Day is a harmonica blues and Gina vamps it up again as Dennis Gruenling beefs it up on harp. This swings along very well indeed and her voice belies her years. That Much Further is Country and the poorest track on offer. The Gospel inspired When My Ship Comes In finishes things off and is played acoustically to let the listener hear the lyric. The last two tracks are obviously in there to show her versatility but it almost backfires. However, I have to say that this is an above average debut.
http://www.swingnationrecords.com/
http://www.ginasicilia.com/
David Blue.
Philadelphian Gina Sicilia is a new voice on the blues scene and she is making waves already. That’s A Pretty Good Love is a swinging opening with Sicilia unleashing her big voice on the song many will associate with Big Maybelle. I Ain’t Crazy is a big band blues with a great horn section. The guitarist, Dave Gross, plies his trade well and Gina is powerful again. Try Me is a slinky blues, originally sung by Esther Phillips with Karel Ruzicka Jr and Rob Chaseman on sax are on form. One Of Many sees the introduction of Dennis Gruenling on harmonica for this upbeat song. It’s blues but it does flirt with the jazz side. Pushover has a 60s feel and Gina does a great job of covering this Etta James song.
The self-penned Rest Of My Days is soulful and you can sense influences such as Otis Redding. The second half of the album is written solely by Sicilia and the eponymous title track is a grinding soulful blues with jagged guitar from Gross. You Set My Heart On Fire is a sultry nightclub blues with Matt Stewart’s muted trumpet under a raunchy vocal. Bass (Scott Hornick), drums (Mike Bram) and guitar (Dave Gross) are all understated – gorgeous. There Lies A Better Day is a harmonica blues and Gina vamps it up again as Dennis Gruenling beefs it up on harp. This swings along very well indeed and her voice belies her years. That Much Further is Country and the poorest track on offer. The Gospel inspired When My Ship Comes In finishes things off and is played acoustically to let the listener hear the lyric. The last two tracks are obviously in there to show her versatility but it almost backfires. However, I have to say that this is an above average debut.
http://www.swingnationrecords.com/
http://www.ginasicilia.com/
David Blue.
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