Just as a bluegrass festival might attract a country singer who's too country for country radio, Chicago's blues scene is a good place to hear classic soul singing in the '60s/'70s sense. For decades, soul has been an important part of the menu in many of the Windy City's blues clubs -- Chicago is full of talented blues singers who are also talented soul singers, and few of the city's blues clubs are going to reject someone simply because he/she doesn't stick to the 12-bar format 100 percent of the time. Soul, in fact, is an important part of what
Shirley Johnson does on her first Delmark release,
Killer Diller, which was recorded in 1996, 2000, and 2001. The gritty, big-voiced Chicago resident (originally from Norfolk, VA) offers plenty of Chicago-style electric blues on this CD, including "The Blues Is All I've Got" and
Willie Dixon's "Killer Diller." But for
Johnson, being blues-oriented doesn't mean being a blues purist, and she brings a healthy appreciation of classic, pre-urban contemporary R&B to "No Deposit, No Return" and
Sam Cooke's "Somebody Have Mercy." Another highlight of the album is
Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing," which
Johnson gives a somewhat
Tina Turner-ish makeover.
Johnson can also handle gospel, although she sticks to secular lyrics on
Killer Diller (except for Leiber & Stoller's "Saved," which was a hit for
LaVern Baker). No one will accuse
Johnson of being an innovator; while
Koko Taylor and
Etta James were the leaders,
Johnson is among the followers. But if
Johnson is derivative, she's also expressive, highly enjoyable, and good at what she does. Anyone who has spent a lot of time listening to
Taylor,
James, and similar vocalists should have no problem getting into
Killer Diller. ~ Alex Henderson