Lady J Huston's Feature in Making a Scene!
FEATURED REVIEW
Living Blues, July 2023 by David Whiteis
Lady J Huston- Groove Me Baby | Groove Me Baby Album Review
Earwig Music /UniSun Productions - EWR-4980
St. Louis native Joyce "Lady J" Huston was raised in a musical family; her mother, the late Loyce P. Huston, was a noted entertainer and recording artist in the St. Louis area. Before she was in her teens, young Joyce was appearing as a dancer on her mother's shows. No doubt influenced by her mother's ethic of professionalism and excellence, she also majored in music, eventually studying music theory and composition at Howard University. Her biography credits her with facility in at least 15 instruments, most notably the trumpet—she played lead trumpet in Albert King's band for a while, eventually becoming King's musical director. Now on her own as a blues singer, she has released what appears to be her first-ever solo
album, featuring a set that includes eight original compositions (three co-written by Zelma Lipsky), two songs originally recorded by her mother, and the standard Born under a Bad Sign, obviously a tribute to her old boss Albert King, on which guitarist Jason Cooper weighs in with an admirable approximation of King's string-bending style.
From the first notes of the opening number, Your Call, it's clear that Lady J, who spent several years performing on the Las Vegas circuit, is a show woman of the old school— the sound is deep and wide, burnished by a brawny horn section that includes Huston herself on several tracks, and charged with the kind of house-wrecking ebullience that's impossible to fake (aside from her duties as songwriter and lead singer, Huston also did the arrangements for this session). Her vocals likewise sound pitched to fill a room, if not an auditorium: they're flamboyant and theatrical, almost as if she's acting out her storylines as she sings them. A lesser artist could easily have crossed the line into bathos, especially on a heart-rent ballad like Tearing Me Apart, but Huston has the knack of embellishing her lines with a chiaroscuro-like melisma that accentuates, rather than obscures or parodies, the intensity of the emotions she's conveying.
Huston's renditions of her mother's songs—the easy-swinging I Want a Man Like That, the saucy Big Beautiful Woman's anthem 500 Pounds Good Gizzay—are both affectionate and resolutely personalized (she updated the arrangements for this project, and according to her liner notes she also tweaked a few lyrics); she's clearly placing her own stamp on Ms.
Loyce's beloved legacy. And throughout, the set is spiced by Huston's trumpet solos—dexterous and sure, rife with echoes of such past masters as Lee Morgan and Clifford Brown, harking all the way back to the founding father, Louis Armstrong. Her muted horn line in the intro to Groove Me Baby, likewise rich and expressive, further whets our appetite for more of the same—as does this entire album. Lady J is definitely a name to keep an eye on, and a voice to keep our ears peeled for, in the future.
Back To The Roots, The Belgian Blues Magazine,
November 2023 by Rien Wisse
Lady J Huston- Groove Me Baby | Groove Me Baby Album Review
Earwig Music /UniSun Productions - CWR-4980
For St. Louis-based singer, composer and player of various (mostly wind) instruments Lady J Huston, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Her mother Loyce (Pickens) Huston earned a reputation in the gospel-jazz-blues scene in St. Louis. There, as a teenager, Lady J became a singer in the band of pianist Johnny Johnson, who played off and on with Chuck Berry. At 18, she became successively lead trumpeter and bandleader in Albert King's band. Here she performs mostly self-written and arranged songs, in which she shows herself to be an extremely versatile vocalist-trumpeter.
For example, "Tearing Me Apart" is a sensitive and vocal technically great ballad. Too bad it ends in a fade-out. Then she sings more raucously in "Born Under A Bad Sign," the hit song by her former employer Albert King. Then the via surprising tempo changes constantly switching from jazz blues to up-tempo funk, 'Hide-Away,' also self-penned and performed with 18-piece orchestra. In the voodoo laden 'Messin' 'Round In Da Bayou' she brings the scatting technique, vocally imitating instruments without words. This lady should have been at North Sea Jazz a long time ago. With this CD she underlines once again that the human voice is the most important instrument of the blues.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
ABS Magazine, France, September 7, 2023 by Robert Sacre
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Joyce “Lady J” Huston (vocals, trumpet, composition, musical direction, arrangements and production: excuse me!) is an extraordinary character. She is a child of the ball, she was brought to singing and dancing by her mother, Loyce Pickens-Hudson, a renowned singer in Saint Louis in the fields of Jazz, Gospel and Blues. Lady J made her debut as a singer and dancer in her mother's shows, then, still a teenager, with the pianist Johnnie Johnson (ex-Chuck Berry).
She was then part of Albert King's band for years as a trumpet player, then leader of the brass section, before becoming his musical director and the only woman in the band (1). She then moved to Las Vegas, formed her own band, gigging tirelessly for twenty-five years, multiplying Awards and accolades like the title of “Las Vegas Queen of the Blues”. Since 2018, Lady J isreturned to Saint Louis and deployed an overflowing activity there in concerts and tours. However, it is her first album (2) and she has mobilized more than thirty musicians in addition to the Jazz Edge Orchestra of Saint Louis to highlight her singing, her trumpet and flugelhorn playing. She composed alone or in collaboration nine of the twelve sides. It's triumphant Rhythm & Blues , namely the exacerbated fusion of jazz brass with a strong blues that grips the guts like in Your Call ; it swings at all costs and it breaks the house. This is also the case in Hide-Away(2) inflamed and slow at first, before racing violently and ending calm! As for the eponymous title, it's soul blues in slow, jubilant and expressed with conviction. Note also Messin' 'Round On Da Bayou , New Orleans funk inspired by its drummer, Jimmy Prima, nephew of Louis Prima. Lady J also covers two songs by her mother: a modern version of her more than naughty 500 Pounds of Good Gizzay and I Want A Man Like That by Chick Finney (1963). In the same 'olé-olé' domain, we find Mean Stud Lover's Blues (3), a bawdy blues like the classic blues singers of the 20s and 30s already liked to sing them to express their sexual appetites. Also worthy of attention:Corona You Made Me Sick , an ironic slow blues referring to the Covid pandemic, At Last en live , an emotional tribute to Etta James and Born Under A Bad Sign , a fiery tribute to her ex-boss, with the excellent Jason Cooper ( gt) and Ben Shafer (tenor sax).
Red, Hot 'n Blues, August 1, 2023 by Marty Gunther
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
The longtime queen of the blues in Las Vegas, St. Louis native Lady J Huston has toured the world since the ‘70s, having served as horn player, section and musical director for Albert King, Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson and others. But she finally makes her debut as a headliner with this stellar, funky collection of nine originals and three covers.
Lady J possesses a fiery, in-your-face alto voice and she accompanies herself on trumpet and flugelhorn with backing from more than 30 musicians, including the
18-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra. The lively set that was recorded in the suburbs of her St. Louis hometown, where she spent her childhood as a dancer and singer behind her mother -- jazz, gospel and blues great Loyce Pickens.
Top tracks include “Your Call,” “I Want a Man Like That,” “Corona, You Make Me Sick,” “Groove Me Baby,” “Messin’ Around in Da Bayou,” “500 Pounds Good Gizzay,” “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues” and a live version of the Etta James classic, “At Last.”
Era Jazzu Poland, July 14, 2023
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
The charismatic singer Lady J. Huston, popular in the USA, released her latest album "Groove Me Baby" with a flourish worthy of a great star. She recruited over thirty musicians to shoot and record a dozen new songs, including four guitarists, three drummers, several bass players, keyboardists, vocalists, a horn section (including Lady J on trumpet) and the 18-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra of St. Louis. It is therefore not surprising that the studio album " Groove Me Baby"is a reflection of everything Huston is (singer, songwriter, trumpeter, music director, arranger and producer) and has accomplished in her career, which began as a child dancer in
shows with her mother Loyce Huston and has led to a number of prestigious awards and concerts with stars of the stage (from Johnny Lee Hooker to Koko Taylor).
Joyce Huston earned the nickname " Lady J" while attending Howard University studying music theory and composition. She was inspired to sing and dance by her mother, Loyce (Pickens) Huston, a celebrated gospel, jazz and blues singer from her hometown of St. Louis. As a teenager, Lady J she made her debut as a singer at the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame with Johnnie Johnson's band (the "father" of rock'n'roll piano and pianist Chuck Berry), with whom she sang the hit "Johnny B. Good". She toured over the years with this legendary band, then with Albert "Blues Boy" King's group (also as lead trumpeter, then leader of the horn section, and eventually promoted to music director), touring with musical legends such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker , Millie Jackson, Bo Didley, Ko Ko Taylor, BB King, Etta James, Bobby Blue Bland, Robert Cray. She is the winner of many Blues Music Awards and reigned over the years in Las Vegas as The Las Vegas Queen of Blues. The popularity of the charismatic artist was grounded by appearances in famous TV shows (America's Got Talent, ABC World News Tonight) and at prestigious festivals. She presents her " The Lady J Huston Show" on stages throughout America, arousing the admiration of listeners and admiration for her talent. Michael Frank, head of the iconic Earwig Music Company, even claims that " the album "Groove Me Baby" is a seductive ode to romance at the highest peak of self-indulgence. But also the eternal longing for a partner. Lady J has her rhythm and perfects her trumpet. She made me get up and dance, I sang for a long time, screaming with delight.
RnR Magazine UK, July 13, 2023 by Norman Darwen
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Debut album Groove Me Baby presents a versatile, vastly experienced blues artist, with a few unexpected twists and turns. For a start, Lady J., based in St. Louis, Missouri but with twenty-five years in Las Vegas, became part of Albert King's band after hesitantly playing classical trumpet. She does play in a rather more accomplished manner here, as on "Hide-Away (Remix)', in addition to composing, arranging each carefully crafted number and, of course, singing. Lady J. shows off a wide vocal
range - listen to her stunning cover of Etta James's 'At Last', or her prowess towards the end of the rhythm and blues ballad 'Tearing Me Apart'. She also pays tribute to the aforementioned blues legend with an impressive cover of 'Born Under A Bad Sign', and references her mother, remaking her local hit, "I Want A Man Like You' and the salacious shuffle of '500 Pounds Good Gizzay'.
She also pulls no punches on 'Mean Stud Lover's Blues' and won an award for her 'Corona You Make Me Sick', here remixed. The title track is a smooth soul number, and 'Messin' Around On Da Bayou' has a New Orleans influence and scat singing. It's all good listening.
La Hora del Blues Spain, July 3, 2023
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Singer Joyce Huston known as Lady J grew up in a musical environment. She was the mother of one of the most famous blues, jazz and gospel singers in Saint Louis and she was a mentor to many other musicians in the area. Since she was a child, Joyce danced in her mother's shows and, being only a teenager, she became known as a singer with Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry's pianist and to whom he dedicated the legendary song “Johnny B. Good”. She worked as a trumpeter with Albert "Blues Boy" King sharing the stage with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley or Koko Taylor among many others.
For over twenty-five years, she Joyce has resided in Las Vegas, where she leads her own band, Lady J Huston & The Fireballs. Throughout her career, Lady J has received countless awards recognizing her hard work as a singer,
Joyce now presents an ambitious project with twelve songs, nine of them her own compositions, which are a journey through the most powerful and sophisticated blues, soul, gospel and rhythm & blues, with impressive arrangements that convey all the power and glamor of the great orchestras that can be found in the most elegant stages and clubs of Las Vegas.
Joyce has featured more than thirty musicians, including four guitarists, three drummers, several bassists, other vocalists, keyboardists, a horn section in which she also participates, and the 18-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra, which gives an idea of the magnitude of this album and the breadth of vision with which Lady J Huston develops all her musical and recording projects.
Blues Matters, July 3, 2023 by Stephen Harrison
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Boom, an explosion of brass and vocal sound hits me right between the ears as Lady J grabs my attention with her beautiful distinctive voice, that tells me I'm gonna love this album. Old style brassy blues straight from the streets, a whole orchestra of vocalists and musicians and Lady J
herself blowing up a storm on trumpet on tracks 2/5/6 and 11. When I listen to music it does a couple of things to me, it either kicks up a memory or it makes me visualise another place or time.
Twelve tracks that seem to be making a movie of situations in my mind, especially one particular track, where Lady J’s vocals almost shattered my wine glass. As I'm going through the script, I think to myself, can this album get any better, then Lady J throws in the classic Born Under a Bad Sign. A stunning version, worth buying the album alone for. Then, as I read the sleeve notes, the next song is Corona, You Make Me Sick, how wrong was I to think is this going to be a bit of a comedy song, I loved it and there's nothing funny about it, it's a soulful classic. Six songs in and I'm completely under her spell. Her timing along with the orchestra is second to none, this is big sound, this is bold sound, this is soul sound with a good dollop of blues folded into the mix. I start to imagine myself sat in a St Louis theatre, waiting for her to come on stage from behind a beautiful sash curtain, waiting for the brass and guitar to kick in. This is an epic album that will get played (by me) over and over again, how's it going to end, with the Classic Etta James song, At Last, and I say I'm glad I found you at last Lady J.
Kentuckiana Blues Society, July, 2023 by John Sacksteder
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Joyce “Lady J” Huston gained her nickname while attending Howard University as a Music Theory/Composition major. Her music blends soul and jazz as she is not only a vocalist, but also plays trumpet. She has been performing for 25 years in her own acts in Las Vegas and with Johnnie Johnson and Albert King.
This is her debut album. She offers three covers - Loyce Pickens’ (her mother) “I Want A Man Like That”, Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” as a horn-driven R&B number featuring her trumpet, and Koko Taylor’s “At Last”.
Lady J’s powerful voice can be compared to Koko or other early blues stalwarts like Bessie Smith. The first original “Your Call” is old school,
horn driven blues. “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues” expresses her sexual appetite and later returns as a mostly instrumental. “Tearing Me Apart” is a slow, groove song about her lover going back home to his wife every night. “Corona, You Make Me Sick” is her tongue-in-cheek take on the pandemic. The slow, jazzy “Hideaway” was a semi-finalist in the 2021 International Songwriting Composition. The sophisticated soul title song belongs on the dance floor. “Messin’ ‘Round in Da Bayou” is a funky New Orleans flavored song. “500 Pounds Good Gizzay” is an update of another song from her mother offering a hot swing, sexually explicit song and I will leave it to you to figure out what a Gizzay is.
Blues Blast Magazine, June 30, 2023 by Marty Gunther
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Sometimes, the greatest entertainers are right in front of you but still remain out of sight. That’s the case for Lady J Huston, who finally makes her debut as a recording artist after a career that began in the ‘70s and includes a long run with Albert King and other top talents. The nine funky originals and three covers in this stellar set are certain to launch her into the stratosphere where she belongs.
Born Joyce Ann Huston in St. Louis and the daughter of gospel, blues and jazz
legend Loyce Huston, Lady J grew up singing and dancing. Her first taste of the bright lights came early when she started playing trumpet behind Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame keyboard player Johnnie Johnson. At age 18, she started traveling the world in King’s band, as lead horn player then section leader before a long stint as his musical director and opening act while maintaining her position as the only female member of his organization.
Huston spent 25 years in Las Vegas, where she reigned as the city’s queen of the blues while fronting her own band, the Fireballs, opening for dozens of major touring acts when not headlining top showrooms, festivals and more, before returning to St. Louis in 2018.
A fiery, in-your-face alto who accompanies herself on trumpet, flugelhorn and synthesizer on this one, Lady J hit the street running after her arrival. In addition to touring major clubs in the Midwest, she’s also produced the Albert King Alumni Tribute Show, which debuted at the Missouri History Museum, and is hard at work on a documentary about King and the group that will include behind-the-scenes stories about one of the most influential and highly demanding artists of his generation.
Recorded in the Gateway City, the first 11 tracks here were captured at The Midi Room, JBG Audio, Blue Lotus and Red Pill Recording, while the closing number comes from a live set at The Factory showroom. The moveable feast of backing musicians includes Darryl Bassett, Jason Cooper, Ashton Channing Proctor and Paul Niehaus IV (guitar), Jocelyn Rugaber and Wade Long (keys), Ben Shafer and M. Lew Winer III (sax), and Charles Smotherson Jr., Gerald “Pocket King” Warren, James Gugle and Sterling Lloyd (percussion), and Frank Dunbar (bass).
They’re augmented by Anna C. Allen, Adrea Rohlehr, Bwayne Smotherson and Rosetta Y. Blaine on backing vocals, and the 14-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra lead by Thomas Moore sits in on one cut.
A horn flourish opens “Your Call” before the band launches into an unhurried shuffle and Huston expresses her frustration about being alone as she patiently awaits a phone call from her man. Her anticipation is highlighted by a tasty Shafer solo and the expansion of the 12-bar arrangement to include additional horn runs. When they do hook up in “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues,” he makes her toes “curl down in my shoes.” In his case, apparently, he’s “mean” in only the best possible way in the bedroom.
“I Want a Man Like That,” a tune penned by Miles Davis’ keyboard player Chick Finney, swings from the hip to follow as it reinforces the message before the action slows dramatically for the ballad “Tearing Me Apart.” Written about a reunion following a breakup, Lady J remains unhappy because she knows the guy’s going to go back to his wife at the end of the night and realizing she can’t even put up a fight. A cover of “Born Under a Bad Sign” – penned by Booker T. Jones and William Bell and a monster hit for Albert – gets a refreshing update before “Corona, You Make Me Sick,” Huston’s tongue-in-cheek complaint about the pandemic.
Jazz Edge Orchestra joins the action for “Hide-Away” – not the Freddie King classic, but a melismatic burner about the need for a safe space for Lady J to recover from her lover leaving for another, unworthy woman who’s loaded with cash. The mood brightens from the opening notes of the title tune, “Groove Me Baby,” which celebrates continuous longing for the new man at her side.
A second-line beat fuels “Messin’ Around in Da Bayou,” which honors Huston’s Las Vegas drummer, Jimmy Prima, the nephew of New Orleans-born trumpet legend Louie Prima, before the singer updates and breathes new life into the jazzy “500 Pounds Good Gizzay,” a sassy, sexually-charged number written by her mother. A stop-time, mostly instrumental reprise of “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues” follows before Lady J puts her own unhurried, smoky spin on the Etta James classic, “At Last,” singing it to honor newlyweds who were dancing to it in front of a live audience.
This is big-band blues at its best, and Lady J Huston definitely deserves her place in the spotlight. Pick up this one. You won’t be disappointed!
Chicago Blues Guide, June 30, 2023 by Marty Gunther
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Joyce Huston, better known as Lady J Huston, is an acclaimed trumpeter and arranger who also sings in a variety of styles and octave ranges. Based in St. Louis, her mother, Loyce Huston, was a staple on the local gospel, jazz and blues scenes. Joyce herself resided in Las Vegas for 25 years, fronting the award-winning band Lady J Huston & the Fireballs. Returning to the St. Louis area in 2018, Lady J and her new band played their first show at the National Blues Museum.
Her new album, Groove Me Baby on Chicago’s Earwig label, does a good job of putting her skills on display. She is joined by 30 stellar musicians, including the 18-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra, that provide a dynamic backdrop to Lady J’s nine originals and three covers.
Horn players are quite underrated in contemporary blues, and arrangers are even more so. The mega-talented Lady J shows why either shouldn't be taken for granted. The horns land in the right place, the male chorus chimes in at the correct time, and even the odd synthesizer here and there has taste. Her trumpet solos bring the right atmosphere to blues grooves. She was a music theory/composition major at Howard University, and her arrangements demonstrate clearly why she made the Dean's List!
In addition to leading her own band, Lady J and her trumpet also apprenticed behind the distinguished likes of Albert King and Johnnie Johnson (all before she reached the age of 20). She includes a tribute to her former boss with a cover of “Born Under a Bad Sign” on which she adds her own soulful touch.
There are hints of 1950s jump blues on this record, making the songs jump out at you with the right touch of pizzazz. “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues,” a swingin’, uptempo jazzy blues number with some killer horns, is included twice – as a vocal number and later as an instrumental. Both versions deliver equally as well.
Of special note is the racy “500 Pounds Good Gizzay” -- an upbeat, jamming number written by Mama Loyce. Daughter Joyce has big fun with it, as she sings her heart out with vocals that scat, growl, swoop and soar into the whistle tones.
The only serious weak spot on the album are the lyrics, which sometimes border on cliche and don't tell you much you don't already know. "Corona You Make Me Sick!" doesn't really go far beyond the title, and others are a little more predictable, with ideas that could have been fleshed out a little more. Perhaps Lady J prefers to let her expressive trumpet and exotic vocals do the talking. Maybe she could use a lyricist on her next album, but the grooves carry the day. It certainly worked for James Brown.
If you loved the brass arrangements on B.B. King's 1960s records, this is a swingin’, jazzy, jumpin’ blues album to watch out for.
The featured "Groove Me Baby" single is playing on stations worldwide and charted in the Top 20 on AirPlay Direct's massive music platform! The "Groove Me Baby (Album)" drops on Friday, May 19, 2023!
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"This is a great new song. I'll add to my rotation right away!" ~ "Keeping The Blues Alive" Host The Mighty Quinn on Buddy Guy Radio Legends (buddyguyradio.com).
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"We got the Groove Me Baby track, which wet my appetite for more. Can’t wait for the release of the CD please send us more." ~
"Morning Blend" Host Dr. A. on KPSQ 97.3 FM Fayetteville, AR.
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Congratulations, good listening and good music! ~
"AnimaJazz" (Italy) Host Bruno Pollacci, Podcast (animajazz.eu); Streaming (puntoradio.fm).
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ZicaZic, June 30, 2023 by Fred Delforge
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions - EWR-4980
Known for being the Queen of Blues of Las Vegas, a city where she has lived for a quarter of a century, Joyce Huston earned her pseudonym Lady J while studying music and composition at Howard University and then toured extensively as musical director with Albert King and as a luxury sidewoman for BB King, Etta James, Bobby Blue Bland, Robert Cray and many more! A singer full of ardor and richness but also a trumpeter full of talent and endowed with superb gifts of entertainer, Lady J Huston landed last spring with a very first personal album on which crowded about thirty musicians including four
guitarists, three drummers and a number of bassists and keyboardists but also a real brass section and, last but not least, the Jazz Edge Orchestra of St Louis bringing together no less than eighteen artists for a single original title, "Hide-Away". Nine compositions full of subtlety but also three covers, "Born Under A Bad Sign" by Albert King, "I Want A Man Like That" by the Chick Finney Combo and finally Etta James' standard, "At Last", served in a breathtaking version full of realism, it does not take more for these three quarters of an hour of jazz-tinged blues, and vice versa, to keep us spellbound with impressive nuggets as can be "Mean Stud Lover's Blues", "Tearing Me Apart", "Corona You Make Me Sick!" “, “Messin' Round In Da Bayou” or even “500 Pounds Good Gizzay” and end up making Lady J Huston one of these artists definitely endearing and disturbing. Much more than a simple music album, "Groove Me Baby" is a real invitation to discover Lady J Huston in shows that are presented as rich and frenzied, which we are quite capable of imagining when we take the brunt of these dozen particularly well-imagined and well-performed tracks. We really like it!
Blue Monday, June 2023
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions - EWR-4980
Groove Me Baby is the first full length studio album from Lady J Huston and quite frankly, after reading about her very impressive list of accomplishments; musical affiliations; and skills and talents; with a bio like this, I’m actually shocked to hear that. Lady J is a singer, songwriter, trumpeter, musical director, arranger, producer, and she dances, as well. She sang in Johnnie Johnson’s band ; she was the lead trumpeter, who ultimately became the music director, in Albert King’s band; and she’s played with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Koko Taylor, and many others. There’s a lot more that can be told but later on I’ll just
give you a link to where you can read it all for yourself, because I want to tell you about the music.
For the project – and trust me, it is a project – Lady J used the musical talents of well over thirty performers of which there were a handful of guitarist and drummers; several keyboardists and bassists; a lot of background vocalists; a bunch of horns; with eighteen of this list appearing as the Jazz Edge Orchestra. Of Groove Me Baby’s twelve tracks, there are nine originals and three covers, and on them, you may very well hear many styles of music that include blues, jazz, swing, soul, R&B, funk, pop, and even a bit of disco.
This is going to sound strange but roll with it, please. The name of this song is called “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues” and for now (you’ll understand why later), all I’m going to say is it is one of the bluesiest tracks of the lot and Lady J, with a whole lot of sass and range, is reaching deep down and belting the hell out of some serious down-home blues.
As she’s telling the girls “I Want a Man Like That” (C. Finley, L. Lutour), just some of “that” includes him being a man to love her day and night; to treat her nice and kind; to have a way of loving that will thrill her all the time; to be a man who never likes to roam and brings all the money home. All reasonable expectations, for sure. This is a swinging, jazzy number featuring fabulous tenor sax leads from Ben Shafer; a lot of bottom from the baritone of M. Lew Winer III; a dance inducing rhythm from Charles Smotherson, Jr. and Frank Dunbar, on the drums and bass respectively; and while being supported melodic backing vocals from Andrea Rohlehr and Bwayne Smotherson – the boss, Lady J, putting on a vocals 101 lesson.
On the very next track, “Tearing Me Apart” It sounds like Lady J hasn’t quite found that ‘man like that’ just yet. On this soulful and emotional ballad, she laments over having to repeatedly face her lover leaving her to go home to his wife.
This jazzed up version of “Born Under a Bad Sign” (B.T. Jones W. Bell) pays homage to Lady J’s former boss, and my all-time favorite bluesman, the late, and very great, Albert King. Just as Albert always liked to have, the track features a smokin’ horn section with Lady J blasting out the trumpet leads, Ben on the tenor sax and M. Lew on the baritone; the usual powerful rhythm coming from Charles (drums) and Frank (bass), this time with strong organ and piano support from Wade Long. Of course, on a song by arguably the best blues guitarist ever, there’s got to be a lot stinging blues guitar licks, and Jason Cooper is definitely all over that. Then there are the vocals, on which Lady J is serving notice that although this may be her debut release, she could very well be deserving of some ‘vocalist of the year’ awards. She’s got my vote!
Over my twenty-plus years of doing this, I’ve reviewed a countless number of blues society compilations CDs and I cannot ever recall hearing such major production like this on any of them. The song is called “Hide-Away (Remix)” and it first appeared on a disc titled 18 in 18, that was released by the St. Louis Blues Society. The song made it to the semifinals of the 2019 International Songwriting Competition. It’s a jazz and funk infused blues ballad that features Lady J singing her heart out while being backed up by the Jazz Edge Orchestra, with band leader Thomas Moore on rhythm guitar; Alexis Adams on electronic keyboards; Theodore B. Terry II on bass; Eddie L. Brown on drums; Larry M. Edwards on percussion; Bill Simpson, Charles E. Rose and Brady Lewis on trumpet; William Jeffries and Andy Scheifelbein on trombone; Charles T. Staton, Jr. and Anthony Hill on alto sax; Errol M. Belt on tenor sax; and Dr. Don Cook, Sr. on baritone sax. Although I’ve not heard the other songs in the competition, I still must wonder how this one didn’t win. “Groove Me Baby” – the title track – is a time machine back to seventies and eighties, and maybe even earlier, soul music. The opening intro - featuring Lady J on the synthesizer and muted trumpet, combined with the groovy rhythm Frank and Charles have going on bass and drums – had me thinking that any second now, the likes of Al Green, Luther Vandross, Evelyn Champagne King, Teddy Pendergrass, or even Barry White would be joining in on vocals. However, it was the Lady herself who stepped up to the mic and flat out belted the hell out of the song.
Traditionally, background singers provide vocals and harmonies to compliment the lead singer. That said, if a song was an instrumental but featured only backup harmonies, would the vocalists still be called background singers? I don’t know and of course, I don’t really care, all that matters is on the instrumental version of an earlier track, where all I did was allude to Lady J’s vocal prowess – “ Mean Stud Lover’s Blues (Background)” – that’s what’s happening and it’s happening fabulously. What is traditional about the track is its style of blues. It’s got: Frank and Charles, in a good ol’ foot trappin’ rhythm groove on the bass and drums; Jason Cooper and Darryl Bassett combining to make a formidable lead and rhythm guitar team; Lady J – with Ben and M. Lew blowin’ lots of support through the tenor and baritone saxes – leading the horn section with sharp and hot trumpet leads; and last but certainly not least, Andrea, Wade Long, and the Lady herself, softly and soulfully laying down absolutely beautiful background… or maybe in this case, foreground… harmonies. I can’t even take a guess as to how many times I replayed this one.
The disc closes with the Etta James classic “At Last” (H. Warren, M. Gordon). Lady J eases into the song by introducing “the couple of the hour for their first dance” giving the impression that the song is being recorded live at a wedding. In actuality, it was indeed recorded live at the mega entertainment complex in Chesterfield, MO, called The Factory, and the recording was to be used in their wedding ads. That said, the song is a commercial… but OMG, what a great commercial! Frank on bass, Gerald “Pocket King” Warren on drums, Wade on piano, and Darryl on guitar, are masterfully locked into that slow rhythm the song requires; M. Lew is encouraging the couple to make that slow dance a bit sultry with his tenor sax leads; and with killer conviction, unyielding range, seductive scat, and so much soul, Lady J is “selling” the hell out of this product.
Other tracks on this debut, and what I believe will be the first of many discs by Lady J Huston include: “Your Call”, “Corona You Make Me Sick (Remix)”; “Messin’ ‘Round In The Bayou”; and “500 Pounds of Good Gizzay”.
Should you like to find out more about Lady J Huston, just go to – www.ladyjhuston.com. Remember, wherever you go and whomever you speak with, please tell them their friend the Blewzzman sent you.
Blues Bytes, May 28, 2023
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Joyce Huston (dubbed Lady J Huston) came from a musical family, her mother being a noted blues and jazz singer in St. Louis. She got her start as a teenaged vocalist in Johnnie Johnson’s band and eventually joined Albert King’s band, eventually becoming lead trumpeter and later his musical director. She’s lived and performed in Las Vegas for 25 years, leading Lady J Huston & the Fireballs, and has performed The Lady J Huston Show throughout the midwest for the past five years. With that background, it’s a bit surprising that Groove Me Baby (Earwig/Unison Productions) is her debut recording.
Groove Me Baby features twelve songs, nine written or co-written by Lady J (who also produced the album), and backing from over 30 musicians, includinng the 18-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra from St. Louis. Lady J herself provides trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals. The opener, “Your Call,” is a gritty, brassy down home blues, which leads into the steamy, swinging “Mean Stud Lover Blues” (also offered later on the disc in an instrumental version). Lady J’s mother, Loyce Pickens (Huston) recorded “I Want A Man Like That” in the early 60’s with the Chick Finney combo, and she pays tribute to her mom with this tasty cover.
Lady J recorded “Tearing Me Apart,” based on a true story, initially in the mid-80’s, but has remixed and revised the tune over the past decades, re-recording the vocals this year. The finished product is a standout. Next, Lady J pays tribute to another musical mentor, Albert King, with a funky, soul-infused take on “Born Under A Bad Sign” that works extremely well, and takes a pointed look at the scourge of the past few years on “Corona, You Make Me Sick!” Meanwhile, the Jazz Edge Orchestra backs her on “Hide-Away,” a ballad that mixes jazz and R&B with the blues, while the title track is a smooth soul and R&B.
“Messin’ ‘Round On Da Bayou” is a second line groover inspired by Lady J’s late drummer Jimmy Prima (nephew of jazz legend Louis Prima), and the ribald blues “500 Pounds Good Gizzay” was originally written by her mother, but slightly modified the daughter. The final two tracks, bonus tracks, included the aforementioned instrumental version of “Mean Stud Lover Blues” and a live recording of Etta James’ “At Last,” which really puts Lady J’s vocal versatility on full display.
Groove Me Baby is a superb mix of blues, jazz, and soul. Hopefully, Lady J Huston won’t take as long between her first and second albums and we’ll be hearing more from her in the near future.
Blues Roadhouse, May 28, 2023 by Jim White
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Joyce Huston, or Lady J as she is known in the blues world, has been around the music world for a while.
She got her first taste of musical fame as a teenager, singing with Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry’s original pianist. And it didn’t hurt that her mother was Loyce (Pickens) Huston, a noted blues and jazz singer in St. Louis.
Then her musical training (including her trumpet playing skills) got her a spot as lead trumpeter touring with Albert King’s band in 1981. She was just 18. It wasn’t too long before she was King’s lead trumpeter, then his musical director.
That’s not a bad way to start your career.
After all that, “Groove Me Baby” is her first full-length studio album. And so this debut session begs the question: What took her so long?
The album overflows with the power of nine original songs (and three outstanding covers), written or co-written by Huston, backed by a lineup of razor-sharp musicians.
The session opener is the original “Your Call,” a tough old-school blues kicked into gear by a horn section that’s done to a crisp. The fierceness of Huston’s commanding vocals set the tone for everything that follows.
“Mean Stud Lover’s Blues” is another terrific, hard-charging blues with a message, and the message ain’t carpentry; On “I Want A Man Like That,” Huston reprises a big and bold jazzy blues sung by her mother in 1963 with the Chick Finney combo; “Tearing Me Apart” is a gorgeous smooth and soulful ballad.
That’s followed by Huston’s R&B-flavored version of the Albert King classic, “Born Under a Bad Sign;” her ode to the Covid pandemic is the sly uptempo “Corona, You Make Me Sick!;” On “Hide-Away,” Huston adds a strong vocal turn with the Jazz Edge Orchestra, who recorded the track with her in 2019 for a St. Louis Blues Society compilation.
“Groove Me Baby” is sophisticated soul; “Messin’ ‘Round On Da Bayou,” is laced with a funky New Orleans beat driven by Huston’s Las Vegas drummer, Jimmy Prima, nephew of the legendary Louis Prima; he hot swing number “500 Pounds Good Gizzay,” is an almost not-so-double entendre that updates a raucous little ditty from her mother’s repertoire.
Two bonus tracks close it all out: an instrumental take on “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues” so you sing along, and a stirring live version of “At Last,” the Etta James’ classic.
This is, simply put, an outstanding album in every respect. The musicians dramatically underline Huston’s commanding presence and keep her fierce vocals front and center while she storms through the set. Even the slower numbers are steamy enough to fog your soul.
It took long enough for Lady J to cook up this special musical feast; I’m ready for a second helping.
Mary4Music, May 20, 2023 by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Groove Me Baby is the first full length studio album from Lady J Huston and quite frankly, after reading about her very impressive list of accomplishments; musical affiliations; and skills and talents; with a bio like this, I'm actually shocked to hear that. Lady J is a singer, songwriter, trumpeter, music director, arranger, producer, and she even dances, as well. She sang in Johnnie Johnson's band; she was the lead trumpeter, who ultimately became the music director, in Albert King's band; and she's played with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Koko Taylor, and many others. There's a lot more that can be told but later on I'll just give you a link to where you can read it all for yourself, because I want to tell you about the music.
For the project - and trust me, it is a project - Lady J used the musical talents of well over thirty performers of which there were a handful of guitarists and drummers; several keyboardists and bassists; a lot of background vocalists; a bunch of horns; with eighteen of this list appearing as the Jazz Edge Orchestra. Of Groove Me Baby's twelve tracks, there are nine originals and three covers, and on them, you may very well hear many styles of music that include blues, jazz, swing, soul, R&B, funk, pop, and even a bit of disco.
This is going to sound strange but roll with it, please. The name of this song is called "Mean Stud Lover's Blues" and for now (you'll understand why later), all I'm going to say is it is one of the bluesiest tracks of the lot and Lady J, with a whole lot of sass and range, is reaching deep down and belting the hell out of some serious down-home blues.
As she's telling the girls "I Want A Man Like That" (C. Finney, L. Lutour), just some of "that" includes him being a man to love her day and night; to treat her nice and kind; to have a way of loving that will thrill her all the time; to be a man who never likes to roam and brings all the money home. All reasonable expectations, for sure. This is a swinging, jazzy number featuring fabulous tenor sax leads from Ben Shafer; a lot of bottom from the baritone of M. Lew Winer III; a dance inducing rhythm from Charles Smotherson, Jr. and Frank Dunbar,on the drums and bass respectively; and - while being supported by melodic backing vocals from Adrea Rohlehr and Bwayne Smotherson - the boss, Lady J, putting on a vocals 101 lesson.
On the very next track, "Tearing Me Apart" It sounds like Lady J hasn't quite found that 'man like that' just yet. On this soulful and emotional ballad, she laments over having to repeatedly face her lover leaving her to go home to his wife.
This jazzed up version of "Born Under A Bad Sign" (B. T. Jones, W. Bell) pays homage to Lady J's former boss, and my all-time favorite bluesman, the late, and very great, Albert King. Just as Albert always liked to have, the track features a smokin' horn section with Lady J blasting out the trumpet leads, Ben on the tenor sax and M. Lew on the baritone; the usual powerful rhythm coming from Charles (drums) and Frank (bass), this time with strong organ and piano support from Wade Long. Of course, on a song by arguably the best blues guitarist ever, there's got to be a lot of stinging blues guitar licks, and Jason Cooper is definitely all over that. Then there are the vocals, on which Lady J is serving notice that although this may be her debut release, she could very well be deserving of some 'vocalist of the year' awards. She's got my vote!
Over my twenty-plus years of doing this, I've reviewed a countless number of blues society compilations CDs and I cannot ever recall hearing such a major production like this on any of them. The song is called "Hide-Away (Remix)" and it first appeared on a disc titled 18 in 18, that was released by the St. Louis Blues Society. The song made it to the semifinals of the 2019 International Songwriting Competition. It's a jazz and funk infused blues ballad that features Lady J singing her heart out while being backed up by The Jazz Edge Orchestra, with: band leader Thomas Moore on rhythm guitar; Alexis Adams on electronic keyboards; Theodore B. Terry II on bass; Eddie L. Brown on drums; Larry M. Edwards on percussion; Bill Simpson, Charles E. Rose and Brady Lewis on trumpet; William Jeffries and Andy Schiefelbein on trombone; Charles T. Staton, Jr. and Anthony Hill on alto sax; Errol M. Belt on tenor sax; and Dr. Don Cook, Sr. on baritone sax. Although I've not heard the other songs in the competition, I still must wonder how this one didn't win.
"Groove Me Baby" - the title track - is a time machine back to seventies and eighties, and maybe even earlier, soul music. The opening intro - featuring Lady J on the synthesizer and muted trumpet, combined with the groovy rhythm Frank and Charles have going on bass and drums - had me thinking that any second now, the likes of Al Green, Luther Vandross, Evelyn Champagne King, Teddy Pendergrass, or even Barry White would be joining in on vocals. However, it was the Lady herself who stepped up to the mic and flat out belted the hell out of the song.
Traditionally, background singers provide vocals and harmonies to compliment the lead singer. That said, if a song was an instrumental but featured only backup harmonies, would the vocalists still be called background singers? I don't know and of course, I don't really care, all that matters is on the instrumental version of an earlier track, where all I did was allude to Lady J's vocal prowess - "Mean Street Lover's Blues (Background)" - that's what's happening and it's happening fabulously. What is traditional about the track is its style of blues. It's got: Frank and Charles, in a good ol' foot tappin' rhythm groove on the bass and drums; Jason Cooper and Darryl Bassett combining to make a formidable lead and rhythm guitar team; Lady J - with Ben and M. Lew blowin' lots of support through the tenor and baritone saxes - leading the horn section with sharp and hot trumpet leads; and last but certainly not least, Adrea, Wade Long, and the Lady herself, softly and soulfully laying down absolutely beautiful background... or maybe in this case, foreground... harmonies. I can't even take a guess as to how many times I replayed this one.
The disc closes with the Etta James classic "At Last" (H. Warren, M. Gordon). Lady J eases into the song by introducing "the couple of the hour for their first dance" giving the impression that the song is being recorded live at a wedding. In actuality, it was indeed recorded live at the mega entertainment complex in Chesterfield, MO, called The Factory, and the recording was to be used in their wedding ads. That said, the song is a commercial.....but OMG, what a great commercial! Frank on bass, Gerald "Pocket King" Warren on drums, Wade on piano, and Darryl on guitar, are masterfully locked into that slow rhythm the song requires; M. Lew is encouraging the couple to make that slow dance a bit sultry with his tenor sax leads; and with killer conviction, unyielding range, seductive scat, and so much soul, Lady J is "selling" the hell out of this product.
Other tracks on this debut, and what I believe will be the first of many discs by Lady J Huston include: "Your Call"; "Corona You Make Me Sick (Remix)"; "Messin' 'Round In The Bayou"; and "500 Pounds Of Good Gizzay".
If you've not yet received a copy of Groove Me Baby for airplay, please contact Betsie Brown at - www.blindraccoon.com - and should like to find out more about Lady J Huston, just go to - www.ladyjhuston.com. Remember, wherever you go and whomever you speak with, please tell them their friend the Blewzzman sent you.
Making A Scene, May 18, 2023 by Jim Hynes
Lady J Huston - Groove Me Baby | Album Review
Earwig Music/UniSun Productions EWR-4980
Lady J Huston (pronounced like the city Houston) is a well-decorated though sparsely recorded woman who sings, writes, plays trumpet and flugelhorn, arranges, and produces. She has a Music Theory/Composition major from Howard University and at one point was the musical director for Albert King’s band. Her mother, Loyce Huston, was a major blues, gospel and jazz artist in St. Louis and Lady J began her professional career at the age of 12 as a dancer in her mother’s shows. Her mother’s lineage, coming from St. Louis, stretches to Chuck Berry and Johnnie Johnson as well. In one sense, although Lady J, who has lived
in Las Vegas for the past 25 years, has long been in big time show business, this album, perhaps long overdue, is her coming out party. As such, Huston did not hold back, enlisting over 30 backing musicians, including four guitarist, three drummers, several bassists, keys, vocalists, a horn section (which included her) and the 18-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra from St; Louis backing her vocals and trumpet/flugelhorn playing. It’s a bit much but she’s intent on making a big impression on Groove Me Baby. She may be a new name to you as she is to this writer, but her biography is quite impressive and worth checking out.
She has nine originals of the dozen, with a requisite nod to Albert King, and to her mom, as well as the blues classic “At Last.” The horn infused “Your Call” kicks it off as she grows angrier waiting for that elusive call that never arrives. She gets dirty and bawdy on the co-written “Mean Stud Lover Blues,” evoking the kind of clever double entendre lyrics associated with Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and the pioneering blues women. She nods to one her mom recorded with “I Want A Man Like That,” the original charted and was done with the Chick Finney combo, imbued with a tenor sax solo as is the opening track. Her standout track “Tearing Me Apart” traces to a true story, love with a married man which didn’t work out. The song was recorded in 1984 when she lived in Washington D.C. with the DC Unlimited Band, other layers added in Las Vegas years later and with this version digitized reels and rerecorded vocals.
Her tribute to King comes with perhaps his most famous tune, “Born Under a Bad Sign,” with Huston adding some extra sassy soul and a fiery trumpet solo. Huston’s wit is on display in her pandemic song, which is universally relatable – “Corona, You Make Me Sick!” which you can access via YouTube. Deservedly so, it won the 2021 National Blues Museum’s Pandemic Blues Songwriting Competition. Her trumpet, the punchy horns, and the backgrounds on the refrains make it eminently danceable. Another that can be sourced on YouTube is “Hide-Away (Remix) which is an original, not the Freddy King tune of a similar name. This is a ballad peppered with elements of funk including an up-tempo mid-piece sequence, recorded with the 18-piece Jazz Edge Orchestra.
The title track plies a mid-tempo romantic R&B groove while “Messin’ ‘Round in Da Bayou” rather obviously involves second line beats. The latter is a tribute to her former drummer in her Las Vegas band, Jimmy Prima, nephew of Jazz trumpeter Louis Prima. The swinging “500 Pounds Good Gizzay,” replete with swirling B3, is effectively a co-write between Lady J and her mother, the former having updated the salacious lyrics. Huston goes out with two bonus tracks, an instrumental “Mean Stud Lover’s Blues” as she encourages DJs to rap over it and folks to dance to it. “At Last” is a live recording which can also be viewed on YouTube. Although no version will stand up to Etta James, here Huston reveals a vocal range until this point, not evident in the preceding eleven tracks. As mentioned, Huston may have done too much with these horn/vocal heavy arrangements, but the album does have more than its share of strong moments. As always, it’s the quality of the songs that counts the most.