Maria Muldaur intuitively knows what a song needs to suit her vocal style. From “I’m a Woman” and the Memphis Jug Band’s “Garden of Joy” in the folk revival days to the sultry and seductive “Midnight at the Oasis”—a song now familiar to millions around the world. Throughout the 1990s, Muldaur recorded a series of albums under the stylistic banner of “bluesiana” that are filled with magnificent vocal and instrumental performances.
Invoking New Orleans as “my musical and spiritual home,” Muldaur has mined the classic roots of New Orleans’ funk, blues and gospel to produce a CD that presents a carefully selected set of tunes framed in the sounds of pulsating rhythms, ribald blues, and soul-stirring gospel, creating expertly crafted and deeply felt renditions of powerfully moving songs. Steady Love contains a compelling mix of contemporary blues tunes by outstanding blues/folk musicians (including Louisiana’s Bobby Charles), uplifting gospel/blues numbers and engaging versions of Sunday morning going-to-church gospel anthems.
What sets Steady Love apart, though, is the pervasive essence of pure, down-home New Orleans funk, from greasy, “git-down” music to hard-edged, laid-back R&B minimalism. It’s perfectly rendered by keyboard wizard and music director David Torkanowsky with a core unit of A-list New Orleans funk veterans: guitarist Shane Theriot, bassist Johnny Allen and drummer Kenny Blevins. Shannon Powell and guitar ace Cranston Clements make appearances on the album, which was mixed by multi-Grammy-winning producer John Porter. Steady Love’s hypnotic funk rhythms make it one of the most accessible, adventurous, and soul- satisfying releases in Muldaur’s varied career.
