Janiva Magness – Blues Ain’t Pretty

Blues vocalist Janiva Magness' follow up to her critically acclaimed "My Bad Luck Soul." On this new set Janiva puts her own stamp on covers by Etta James, Ruth Brown, James Brown, Ray Charles, Marcia Ball among others, plus three original compositions by Jeff Turmes. 

It's a long way from Michigan to the West Coast, but Janiva Magness didn't lose a bit of that great Detroit R&B influence when she made the trip. She gained a dedicated, ardent fan base in the L.A. area and she enlisted some of the area's finest for this one. Kirk Fletcher and Kid Ramos tear it up on guitar. Songwriter Jeff Turmes plays bass and contributes some fine songs, particularly the slow smoker "The More I Keep on Losin'." Brother Red Young lays down some greasy B3, especially on the Ray Charles/Percy Mayfield tune "Tell Me How Do You Feel." And Magness is a little powerhouse throughout, just as comfortable shifting from Ruth Brown to James Brown. Fun stuff.

Track Listing :
1. Blues Ain't Pretty - 3:42   2. Nobody Loves You - 5:00   3. Voodoo Workin - 4:27   4. The More I Keep On Losin - 4:02   5. I Don't Know - 3:02   6. Makin Money - 3:04   7. St. Gabriel - 6:02   8. Act Right - 2:27   9. Tell Me How Do You Feel - 3:11   10. Help Me To Find My Love - 3:57   11. Gonna Play The Honky Tonks - 3:23   12. Tell Me What I Did Wrong - 3:46   13. Every Dog Has His Day - 3:57   14. Heartbreaker - 4:13