Best of Me

When veteran blueswoman Joanna Connor issued the Joe Bonamassa-produced 4801 South Indiana Avenue in 2021, it introduced her gritty, wildly adventurous guitar pyrotechnics to a new generation of blues lovers. On its follow-up, Best of Me, on Mike Zitos Gulf Coast Records label, Connor had complete control in the studio, and she delivers a multi-dimensional portrait of her work. Cut in Chicago with her road band and a cast of top-shelf guests including the Grooveline Horns and alternating support guitarists Zito, Bonamassa, Josh Smith, and Gary Hoey, the album was co-produced by Connor and her bassist/songwriting partner Shaun Gotti Calloway, and her drummer Jason "J Roc" Edwards. Opener "House Rules" features a sampled clip from a live gig; legendary promoter, club owner, and emcee Frank Pellegrino introduces Connor above the crowds roars. The band dig deeply into raucous blues-funk with punchy horns framing her meaty slide guitar and soulful vocals. "Pain and Pleasure" is a choogling minor-key blues boogie with Smith guesting. Its tense and laden with tasteful reverb. Her winding slide solo is equaled by her expressive vocal. The title track is a gospel-inflected blues that testifies to love and heartbreak. Piano, backing voices, and drums frame Connors committed vocal. Horns and her guitar wind around the melody, punctuating it in each chorus. There is no mistaking Bonamassas guest spot on the squalling country-rock blues of "Highway Child." He goes head-to-head with Connor trading fours and eights in the middle and at the end. That said, "I Lost You" and "Pain and Pleasure" are slow heartbreak blues and set highlights -- ballads are much harder to put across in a studio, but she does them beautifully here. The production offers a mix that wouldnt be out of place in a club. Piano and organ create a deep blue backdrop for Connors bereft vocal and incendiary guitar playing that is as emotionally intense as her lyrics. K.C. Douglas and Robert Geddins "1948 R&B classic "Mercury Blues" features a guest spot by former Pearl Jam drummer David Abbruzzese, who drives it like he stole it, even as Connor delivers a masterclass in unhinged slide guitar soloing. "Shadow Love," another highlight, is a majestic souled-out rocker, with Zito guesting. Their twinned leads frame a lilting hook before each guitarist solos melodically atop the simmering B-3 and drum kit. The anthemic closer "Shine On" features Gary Hoey on backing vocals and second guitar as the Grooveline Horns swagger and swirl through a biting modern Chicago-style blues. Connors vocal testifies above the bands focused roil and burn. She and Hoey trade solo breaks with smoking harmonica breaks between them by guest Jason Ricci. Best of Me is Connors self-curated showcase of musical strengths. It is long established that she is a brilliant and original guitar stylist, and this set amply highlights her writing, singing, arranging, and production skills, all of which go into making one of the artists most diverse, emotionally resonant albums. ~ Thom Jurek