With her finger picking and vibrato in high form and a host of Texas Guitar Slingers “sittin in” Sue Foley is on fire on her latest album The Ice Queen.
If any artist incorporates and fuses together a better contemporary blues album than Sue Foley’s Ice Queen in 2018 it will be have to be really special.
When you soak in the music chops and vibe of Jimmie Vaughan, Antone’s, Albert Collins and live and breathe Austin Texas it affects your whole career.
The Ice Queen for lack of a better term is as Billy Gibbons would say “the real thang”
The title track would make Albert Collins and John Lee Hooker proud.
I can’t stop playing this 3 piece minimal track.
The Lucky Ones with guest Jimmie Vaughan would get anyone about and “struttin” the room, while Fool’s Gold written with organist/producer Mike Flanigin and performed with Billy Gibbons is what I like, a well written new blues song.
Gaslight and the Otis Redding-esque If I Have Forsaken You are flat out innovative considering these are new blues songs with horns that sound “lived in” and classic.
Did I also mention that drummers George Rains and Chris Layton are on this album as well as upright bassist Billy Horton
Natch baby!!!!
Elsewhere, Come to Me features Charlie Sexton in a almost Little Feat slide zone, and Sexton again compliments the essential track 81.
The Dance features Foley in solo flamenco mode and the real acoustic traditional solo stuff comes at the end of the album.
This album is a new blues classic!
NOTE….. ALBUM IS NOT OUT TILL MARCH 2 2018.
JOHN EMMS is a veteran music journalist, Post Media contributor and well know freelance music writer
In his spare time John fronts up Canuck Blues Rockers THE SHAFTMEN
JOHN TWITTER