Angela Strehli - Ace Of Blues.
ANGELA STREHLI - ACE OF BLUES
(Antone's Records)
By Paul Davies
While starting on her journey in blues music, Angela Strehli also cultivated a safe passage to many already-established artists and those on their way to becoming household names at Antone's Club, Texas. On Ace Of Blues, she pays homage to the blues masters that she has met and shaped her musical adventures with these grand interpretations. Bobby Bland's Two Steps Away From The Blues opens this album of a dozen songs with Strehli remaining faithful to the original version as she does on all these tunes. Elmore James’ Person To Person is a song that never quite made the cut into her live set. One can only wonder why, if it wasn't for the overflowing choice of Elmore James songs to select from as she nails this version and makes it her own.
What is noticeably remarkable is the strength of Strehli's voice admirably holding down these long in the sharp tooth songs with a delicious bite. Check out Ace's (Angela's nickname) low howling on Howling Wolf's Howling' For My Darling and you will find yourself howling with delight at her interpretation. Similarly, Muddy Waters’ I Love The Life I Live swings blues-fully as does her take on Jimmy Reed's Take Out Some Insurance dancefloor blues belter. She follows a similar line on even more judicious song selections. However, all wonderful experiences must come to an end and this magnum blues opus finishes with an emotional SRV. Recorded and released on her previous solo album, Blue Highway, Strehli revisits this self-penned tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan who played his first show in her famous co-owned club Antone's. It’s where Jimmy Vaughan also started his musical odyssey. Angela Strehli delivers a bravura performance on this track as she does throughout Ace Of Blues which exudes the few takes as possible live feel ambience in which it was recorded.
