Reviews Archive

Andrea Marr - Little Sister Got Soul (US album review)

Andrea Marr - Little Sister Got Soul Amphead Music www.andreamarr.com www.myspace.com/andreamarrband www.ampheadmusic.com 10 songs; Time 41:21 minutes; Suggested Style: Soul Blues music was born in the United States, yet there are Blues artists in Australia. What a wonderful testimonial to the power, richness, and impact of the roots of all Roots music, Blues! Australia has a thriving Blues and Soul scene, and they can rightly brag about the crossover-the-ocean artists that have made a name in the U.S. like Sugarcane Collins, Dave Hole, Harper, Jimi Hocking, Fiona Boyes, and now, Andrea Marr. Andrea is truly a first class singer with a dynamic, gospel fueled voice, and I’m not the first to notice. She already has an impressive resume: * 2009 Female Vocalist of the Year (Chain Award, the Australian Blues Music Awards) * 2007 Female Vocalist of the Year (Newcastle Blues Awards) * 2005 Blues Performer of the Year * 2002 Female Blues Artist of the Year (Vic/Tas) This is simply a wonderful album. If you are a Baby Boomer very familiar with Aretha Franklin, Dinah Washington, Etta James and Memphis Soul sounds, you may not hear anything new, but you’ll hear an artist and her band who have mastered the idiom, breathing new life into it. If you are younger, or not familiar with the classic Soul music of America’s best, you’ll feel like you have discovered a gold mine! This is Andrea’s fourth album, and her performance, backup band, production, and engineering and mixing create a world class effort. There are seven originals plus covers of Etta James (“I Prefer You”), Dinah Washington (“Soulville”), and Glenn Kaiser (“If I Leave This World Tomorrow”). Her core band is Greg Dodd, guitar, Dean Matters, drums, Clint Healy, bass, Cam Scott, keyboards, and Sean Vagg, sax. Two of the originals are written by the band, and another is written with Dodd. The skilled instrumental contributions from each plus full band studio additional musicians make the CD more than just a vocal showcase. Standout moments beyond Marr’s singing are Dodd’s guitar work on “If I Leave This World Tomorrow” and his intro to “What’s Wrong With You,” the groups sagacious advice found in “Don’t Touch What You Can’t Afford,” the full horn section in “Real Good Man,” and Cam Scott’s piano work in “Baby Got Me Crazy.” This is no “regional” or “niche” album; this is great Soul music. Meet this “Little Sister” now and then watch for her to tour the U.S. – hopefully SOON! Reviewer James “Skyy Dobro” Walker is a noted Blues writer, DJ and Blues Blast contributor. His weekly radio show “Friends of the Blues” can be heard each Thursday from 4:30 – 6:00pm on WKCC 91.1 FM in Kankakee, IL<-i>  Click here for the full story  Posted: Thu, 30th July 2009

ANDREA MARR - LITTLE SISTER GOT SOUL (album review)

Andrea Marr little sister got soul (10 tracks, 41 minutes) I reviewed Andrea’s first CD, Watch me work it, back in June 2006, and while I liked it, I didn’t really “get it” until I saw Andrea live at Goulburn the following February. Man, she is a dynamo, has a great blues/gospel voice, and really pumps out the sexiness, sass and attitude you hear on the CD. Sometimes an artist can create a particular personality in the recording studio, but they can’t deliver it live. This lady delivers in abundance! After all, she was the MBAS Performer of the Year in 2005 and represented them in Memphis. With Greg Dodd (guitar), Clint Healy (bass), Dean Matters (drums), Cam Scott (keys, Hammond), Sean Vagg (sax), a 3 piece horn section (Paul Williamson, Shane Hughes, Dave Palmer), and 4 backing vocalists (Rudy Tadros, Jeke terei, Edith Borradale, Carmel Sundaram), this CD is a powerhouse outing from this pint-sized songstress. Andrea has come up with a great collection of 7 originals and 3 covers that don’t have a weak one among them. The covers are Dinah Washington’s Soulville, Etta James’ I prefer you, and Glenn Kaiser’s If I leave this world tomorrow and they are terrific versions. You can get an idea what the originals (by Andrea and B. Strafford or various band members) are like by checking out the titles: Steam up the windows, Don’t touch what you can’t afford, Superwoman, Taught me to love, Real good man, What’s wrong with you, and Baby got me crazy. There’s a nice mix of feels and tempos, with lots of brass, and great guitar and piano and, of course, Andrea’s big vocals. In my opinion, this CD is a great example of a local product that’s the equal of anything coming into Australia from “the home of the blues”. Some albums have some great songs, some have some great performances, some have great recording quality, but some, like this one, have it all and just “hang together” and “sound right” from start to finish. (Actually, it reminds me of another great album; Dutch Tilders & The Blues Club, The blues is my life.) You’ve got to have a listen to this one. Gary deWall www.sydneyblues.org Posted: Wed, 11th February 2009

ANDREA MARR - LITTLE SISTER GOT SOUL

Al Hensley Rhythms Magazine Jan 2009 ANDREA MARR LITTLE SISTER GOT SOUL AMPHEAD MUSIC Launching the big horn-laden sound of her sequel to 2006’s Watch Me Work It, Melbourne soul-blues dynamo Andrea Marr wraps her unrestrained pipes around Dinah Washington’s ‘Soulville’ ahead of seven new powerhouse original songs, Etta James’ funky ‘I prefer you’ and Christian music singer Glenn Kaiser’s gut bucket blues ‘If I leave This World Tomorrow’. Guitarist Greg Dodd, bassist Clint Healy, drummer Dean Matters, saxophonist Sean Vagg and keyboard player Cam Scott were Marr’s musical running partners in the realization of this project. Scott’s tight and snappy horn charts and Marr’s vocal arrangements for her backing chorus by members of the Urban Praise Gospel Choir inject a soulful edge to songs of depth and attitude. The sassy ‘Don’t touch what you can’t afford’ and ‘Superwoman’ and the sultry ‘Baby Got me Crazy’ and ‘Steam up the Windows’ exemplify Marr’s growth as a creative artist. A fervent musical chemistry exists between marr and her road-tested band during the whole 41-minute set. Posted: Tue, 6th January 2009

Andrea Marr: Little Sister Got Soul

By Ken Williams for The Age - 30 Dec 2008 HATE to sound chauvinistic about the music in this town, but here goes anyway: the depth of talent in Melbourne can astound, and this album is a delight, truly jump-out-of-your-skin stuff, passionate, poised and, most of all, musical. Andrea Marr's voice is so sensuous, sassy and dynamic, her command of her idiom so assured that one is tempted to accost strangers to tell them. Marr announces her rock-the-house intentions from the get-go with the call-to-arms Soulville. Organ (Cam Scott) and horns are to the fore. Scott also did the horn arrangements and Marr the vocal arranging. The rhythm (Greg Dodd, guitar; Clint Healy, bass; Dean Matters, drums) is hot as a pistol and the horns lift the music to a higher level. Whether drawing on Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin or Etta James or her own works (seven of 10 songs are originals), Marr is inspired. In 2005 she won the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society's blues performer of the year award. I was honoured to be one of the judges and I'm pleased we got it so right. See original article here Posted: Tue, 30th December 2008

Little Sister Got Soul! album review by Rooster

By Rooster for MBAS Bluesletter - 24 Oct 2008 ANDREA MARR Little sister got soul Independent. www.andreamarr.com This is Andrea’s fourth album and she has finally got a band that not only can materialize her vision, but also enhance it. Andrea’s soulful vocals seem effortless whether it is on one of her 7 originals or covering Etta James and Dinah Washington. Her core band of Greg Dodd, guitar, Dean Matters, drums, Clint Healy, bass and Sean Vagg, sax are truly that, a band, who have committed themselves to Andrea’s sound which seems to have allowed Andrea to relax and concentrate on her vocals. Two of the originals are written by the band and another with Greg and it really appears to be a true group effort, with everyone being valued and everyone working with each other to get the best sound. This album represents somewhat of a comeback for Greg, who didn’t pick up a guitar for a number of years. His distinctive style and blues edge adds a punch, whilst Dean and Clint deliver a beat and groove so dependable and polished. Sean usually carries out sax duties alone so he must have been in fantasy land with session buddies Paul Williamson, Shane Hughes and Dave Palmer. The luxury of a horn section is enhanced even further with Cam Scott’s piano and Hammond which takes this album to a level usually only acquired by the greats as Etta and Aretha. The engineering and mixing (Troy Trigwell & James Kilpatrick) of such a large band takes some doing and I can’t see how it could have been done any better. It is a world class effort that rips you from your seat and doesn’t let you go, and when it does you want to do it all again! Rooster Posted: Fri, 24th October 2008