LISA BIALES: Singing In My Soul
LISA BIALES
Singing In My Soul
Big Song Music
It is simple: for a really good time slap on a Lisa Biales CD! The Ohio blues chanteuse’s second album is pure fun end to end. She offers 10 songs, mostly vintage gems. Mississippi John Hurt’s “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me” is a sweet one and Lisa clearly relishes singing it. There are two Sister Rosetta Tharpe songs in “Strange Things Are Happening Every Day” and the closer “Singing In My Soul.” Sippie Wallace’s “Woman Be Wise” is a perfect fit for the sassy Ms. Biales. W.C. Handy’s “Careless Love” dating to the earliest days of the blues received a delicious take here. The Tin Pan Alley standard “I Only Have Eyes for You” lets Lisa amp down for a smoky, sexy take. “Waiting for the Train to Come In” is an aching, swaying piece. “Write Me in Care of the Blues” has a 50s rock & roll feel and feels right doing that. Lisa’s own “Magic Garden” is a funny, sexy ode to growing things.
Sturdy, inventive support comes from the Parisian trio of upright bassist Thibaut Chopen, guitarist Anthony Stelmaszac and drummer Simon “Shuffle” Boyer able abetted by pianist/producer Ricky Nye. Doug Hamilton’s violin notably brightens 2. There’s sweet playing all the way through with just enough swing to make it all flow.
Face it, there’s no deep thinking here. What Singing in My Soul is about is the fun of the doing. Lisa Biales sings from the heart and clearly deeply loves what she does. And she does it quite well indeed. Singing will brighten your day any time you play it.
— Michael Tearson