One Drop Will Do You

Sandra Hall was far from a big name in the blues market when Ichiban put out One Drop Will Do You in 1997, but as strong as this CD is, she certainly deserved to be. Those who were fortunate enough to be aware of the album realized that Hall was a brassy, big-voiced belter along the lines of Koko Taylor. One can hear Taylor's heavy influence on such rollicking, ultra-gritty Chicago blues offerings as "Pump Up Your Love," "Boogie Woogie Fever" and "Find You a Job," which isn't to say that Hall is a Taylor clone. As prominent as Taylor's influence is, Hall is still her own person. Another high point of One Drop is "Blow Top Blues," which the famous jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote in the 1940s. While Dinah Washington's classic version was jazz-influenced, Hall approaches it in a Chess Records-like fashion. Most of the songs take a 12-bar approach, although Hall successfully moves into Southern soul territory on "Ask Me No Questions." One Drop Will Do You isn't an innovative or groundbreaking album, but it's certainly a very satisfying and inspired one. ~ Alex Henderson|