Cyndi Lauper - Memphis Blues - (yes, blues)

[toofarnorth]

Cyndi Lauper dropped a new album this week . . a blues album.
And you know what . . it's good . . maybe not Janniva Magness, Shemekia Copeland, Etta James good, but she obviously loves and respects the genre and the album does it proud imho.

As a blues blogger I read from time to time put it . .

In a press release for the album, Lauper says, "this is the album I've wanted to make for years. All of these beautiful songs, and all of the great players on the album, were carefully chosen because I've admired them my entire life. And I knew from the moment Alan Toussaint hit the keys in 'Shattered Dreams' that we were creating something really special." Personally, the Reverend has always been a Lauper fan, and I'll reserve judgment on Memphis Blues until I hear the album. I suspect it will be a big surprise for blues fans and, besides, who am I to second guess B.B. King? If it's good enough for the King of Blues Guitar, it's good enough for me....
Reverend Keith A. Gordon, About.com Guide to Blues

Want a listen ??
The record was released 6/21/10 so if you belong to a site like Rhapsody it should be available to you there.

But for the time being at least , Memphis Blues is streaming on her MySpace

Memphis Blues track listing:
1. I

[toofarnorth]

I should probably add that I've always had a soft spot for CL, but for me her acoustic tour beat any and all of her Billboard hits to smithereens. So maybe I was pre-disposed to enjoying this new twist in her music career.

Liked this review so brought it over and highlighted some bits.

'Memphis’ belle; Cyndi Lauper Sings the Blues
June 22, 2010
By Jed Gottlieb
The Edge

" If you haven’t listened to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” in a while, you probably remember it as a catchy, corny piece of pop squealed in a thick Queens accent.

Listen again.

Cyndi Lauper’s signature tune is a vocal tour de force: she punches out squeaky, stylized, totally-under-control staccato verses; she croons choruses full of high-register runs with confidence. Really, it’s quite stunning.

“I studied jazz when I first started singing,” Lauper said from her New York home. “My teacher would have me sing all of Billie’s (Holiday) vocals, then all of Lester Young’s solos so I could understand their answer-and-response relationship, and how to stand firmly in the center so I could respond to anyone in the band.”

But no one understood her call-and-response credo like New Orleans producer and piano wizard Allen Toussaint.

. . . . . . “There’s something about him that’s like voodoo,” she said. “When he plays it’s magical and it makes you fall into the center of the rhythm. . . .

. . . . . . You always have to listen and respond to what’s going on in that moment of time.”

And you just thought it was about cute lyrics, dyed hair and a New Yawk accent. "

[Snowbird]

hey thanks for that listen - Cyndi was fun back then and had her niche for sure. This was a nice surprise to hear - of course went for the Allen Toussanit tracks first to listen too - and while the intro (trademark squeak-i-ness?!) to Early Morning gives you a clue that it's Cyndi singing - Mother Earth is earthy blues that in a blind taste test, I would never in a milllion guess it was CL singing.

Very nice - thank you TFN!

[Wally C]

I saw Cyndi a few yrs back as an opener for someone I cant remember (i remember ...Tina Turner 1997!!). I wasnt expecting much.....But man she impressed me!! She was about 7 months pregnant and still did about an hour show.......got down off the stage and walked thru the pavillion singing "Girls Just Want to have Fun"......with like one security guy.....I may have to buy this one.