“Down to My Bones”, Zola Moon
“Down to My Bones”, Zola Moon, Postmodern Music, 2002
Trying to find something that is not the same old thing in blues music can give you the blues. “Down to My Bones” is different, though. Zola Moon takes a chance here by having herself accompanied by only a single acoustic guitarist on each of the sixteen cuts: Michael Carter, Burke Wallace, or Kim Allison.
The opening cut is “Time Is On My Side,” made famous by The Rolling Stones, but the emphasis is on traditional material like “St. James Infirmary,” and traditional sounding songs written by Moon.
The guitarists are all excellent, but the thing that keeps things interesting is Moon’s voice. Her voice is strong and powerful, but she resists the temptation to show it off. Instead, she uses emotion to make each song tell a story.
Being the blues, most of the songs are sad. Moon makes the pleading of her “Help Me” and the pain of “These Steel Bars” come through. She even gives new life to Willie Nelson’s often done “Night Life.”
This CD gets to the roots of the blues with just vocals and guitar – right down to the bones.
Zola Moon's site
- Dave Howell
(This article first appeared in the SouthBound Beat music site.)
Trying to find something that is not the same old thing in blues music can give you the blues. “Down to My Bones” is different, though. Zola Moon takes a chance here by having herself accompanied by only a single acoustic guitarist on each of the sixteen cuts: Michael Carter, Burke Wallace, or Kim Allison.
The opening cut is “Time Is On My Side,” made famous by The Rolling Stones, but the emphasis is on traditional material like “St. James Infirmary,” and traditional sounding songs written by Moon.
The guitarists are all excellent, but the thing that keeps things interesting is Moon’s voice. Her voice is strong and powerful, but she resists the temptation to show it off. Instead, she uses emotion to make each song tell a story.
Being the blues, most of the songs are sad. Moon makes the pleading of her “Help Me” and the pain of “These Steel Bars” come through. She even gives new life to Willie Nelson’s often done “Night Life.”
This CD gets to the roots of the blues with just vocals and guitar – right down to the bones.
Zola Moon's site
- Dave Howell
(This article first appeared in the SouthBound Beat music site.)