Joanna Connor: Live On 11/11 Review
Chicago’s own Queen of Blues Rock Guitar Joanna Connor returns with a live album titled Live On 11/11. The explosive live set recorded at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood Massachusetts, will be released on August 21 via M.C. Records. This 10-track record captures the raw energy and spontaneity of a live performance, where music is enjoyed in its purest form.
“Cissy Strut” has swagger aplenty, and goes well beyond blues rock, it fuses it with funk and jazz. This jam tune is a true showcase of musicianship within the group and Joanna uses it as a platform to introduce the band. Everybody gets the spotlight: juicy drum fills bouncing off cymbals, tasty keyboard parts, cheeky bass guitar, sizzling guitar solos, you name it. This tune must be a treat to witness live. “Shake Your Moneymaker” turns it up even further with biting guitar tone and Joanna’s signature slide licks. Midway through the track the band brings the dynamic right down. The rushing drum beat turns into a subtle swing accompanied by a walking bass line, and the band starts building once again, slowly, one step at a time into a crazy jam. Just wow!
Joanna noodles on clean guitar in minor key before starting her own spin on another classic that is “The Sky Is Crying”. The intro is sprinkled with jazzy octaves and that volume-knob-controlled legato effect. Another great, dynamic performance by the whole band throughout the song, but to me, Connor’s soulful vocals in the verse are the highlight of this rendition. This is followed by a laid-back version of “Further On Up The Road” featuring some very Allmanesque solos.
“You’re So Fine” adds that dirty blues vibe to the mix. Amazing piano solo is followed by an absolute blues guitar masterclass from Joanna. The audience reaction before “Are You Going With Me” is evidence that the gig was indeed a good time. This upbeat, funky tune gave even more reason to let go and enjoy the moment. Don’t even get me started on the guitar tone in “I Just Wanna Make Love To You”, so sultry and powerful. The breaks in the bridge catch you off-guard, before Joanna delivers a knock-out solo.
“Magic Sam Boogie” fires up the audience with its relentless shuffling rhythm before giving way to a piano-led rendition of “Can’t Find My Way Home”. This wide-ranging, genre-bending, 10-track set concludes on a high, with a crazy jam on “When The Levee Breaks”. A rendition just shy of 9 minutes evidences the band chemistry and the shared joy of playing music together.
The album has got fire while remaining laid back at the same time. With Live On 11/11, Joanna Connor and the band deliver a truly memorable and blazing performance that has been captured on tape perfectly. To use the artist’s own words: “This album brings to life what I believe needed to be heard, to witness what I’ve been honing and experiencing for decades. The unit here put in miles, both pleasant and tumultuous. The resulting alchemy was worth all of it.”
The Review: 8.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Cissy Strut
– You’re So Fine
– I Just Wanna Make Love To You
The Big Hit
– I Just Wanna Make Love To You
Live blues albums can be special because they capture details that a studio recording often smooths out the interaction with the band, the room energy and the way a guitarist stretches a phrase differently from one performance to the next. Joanna Connor’s playing has always suited that kind of setting, so a live release feels like a natural format for her music.
I also like how music discovery often sends you into completely unrelated corners of the web afterwards. One recent example for me was [Link deleted]an entertainment site aimed at adult audiences.
What matters most with a live record is whether it makes you feel as though you were actually in the room, and that sense of immediacy is often what separates a memorable performance from a routine concert recording.
Thank you for your thoughtful review!