Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Angela Strehli: Deja Blues

Angela Strehli: Deja Blues

By Ed Kopp
August 1, 1999
View read count

One of the most important figures on the Texas blues scene and a respected blues historian, Angela Strehli also possesses one of the sweetest voices in contemporary blues music. Like her friend Marcia Ball, Strehli takes her time crafting every recording. Deja Blues is just the third release in 11 years from the classy Austin singer.

Besides her soulful vocals, Miss Angela continues to demonstrate superior songwriting skills. Her compositions first surfaced on her 1993 CD Blonde and Blue, and this new release takes up where that last one left off. Deja Blues showcases Strehli's impassioned vocals on 11 guitar-driven tracks, six written by the artist.

The opening track "Cut You Loose" combines a Booker T and the MGs-style groove with some powerhouse guitar work by Mike Schermer, whose playing invites comparisons to Strehli's former Austin cohort, the late Stevie Ray Vaughn. My favorite here is Strehli's growly take on Jimmy Reed's "Close Together." "A Stand By Your Woman Man" is slow and soulful, while Strehli reunites with Lou Ann Barton and Marcia Ball on a funky number entitled "Still A Fool." "Boogie Like You Wanna" is a bouncy electric rocker that's propelled by Andy Santana's tasty harmonica. Also great is the CD's closer, "Where The Sun Never Goes Down," an old-time acoustic blues tune on which the singer is accompanied by slide guitarist Steve James. Texas roots legend Doug Sahm also guests on two tracks.

Strehli has relocated to San Francisco, but she hasn't severed her ties to the Austin blues community or to Antone's, the famous blues gin joint in Austin. Aside from Etta James' early work, I can't think of another contemporary female blues singer I'd rather listen to than Angela Strehli. Deja Blues shows she still has what it takes.

Personnel

Angela Strehli

vocals

Album information

Title: Deja Blues | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: House of Blues

PREVIOUS / NEXT

12-15-78
< Previous

Memphis Piano Convention
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.