Search - Jo-Ann Kelly :: Key to Highway

Key to the Highway, Jo-Ann Kelly

fivetenhalf | NV | 09/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the best blues albums and it is by a young white British Woman,(1960s era). She may have had a great following in Britian, but I never knew of her until recently. When I heard her for the first time on a blues station, I thought she belonged in the 1920s or 1930's and was one of the old blues ladies from that era. And such a surprise to get this CD, and one other of her's, from Amazon, (the only place I could find them) and read her history. Thanks to Amazon and all of your vendors that make this one of the best places to get MUSIC.

And NOW why not go take a listen to Jo-Ann Kelly singing "Make Me A Pallet on Your Floor" and "Come On Inna My Kitchen."

Queen of the British Blues

K. Rowley | Melbourne Australia | 06/14/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The British blues singer/guitarist Jo-Anne Kelly (1944-90) was a little-known treasure. She was a member of the same generation of musicians as the Rolling Stones, but she was more interested in reviving prewar country blues than in popularizing postwar electric blues. Jo-Anne sat in with the Yardbirds in early in their early Clapton days, had a long association with The Groundhogs, and in the 1970s did a stint in the blues-rock band Tramp. But mostly she played acoustic guitar and performed in folk music clubs. She was a regular support act for American blues musicians of an older generation touring England, such as Fred McDowell and Big Joe Williams.

Jo-Anne didn't record much, and her records were hard to find in the shops - certainly in my country(Australia). Those that that I did lay my hands on revealed a powerful voice and a driving, rhythmic guitar style. Her heroine was Memphis Minnie.

Now she is gone but, courtesy of Castle Records, we can get hold of more of her recordings than ever. "Black Rat Swing" is a superb 2-CD anthology spanning her whole career. On most of the tracks she performs solo, or is backed by piano and/or harmonica. Others show her at ease with electric blues, Chicago-style. The same company have issues three CDs of "Rare and Unissued" recordings, two of Jo-Anne solo and one from her sessions with Tramp. These are occasionally marred by recording glitches, and include alternative takes or arrangements of songs on "Black Rat Swing." But there is no real drop-off in the quality of her performance from the issued recordings to these outtakes. I strongly recommend all these records.

There are several other Jo-Anne Kelly CDs now available, which I haven't heard. Unfortunately these don't include my all-time favourite among her vinyl-issued recordings, the album she cut during a visit to the USA in the early 1970s, accompanied by Stefan Grossmann and Woody Mann on acoustic guitar and Alan Siedler on piano, and issued on the Yellow Bee label."