At 71, Ruth Brown shows no signs of slowing down. A Good Day for the Blues is quick follow-up to 1997’s highly heralded R+B = Ruth Brown and was recorded in similar fashion, as a “live” studio performance.
The latest release may not gather the attention of the former – R+B garnered Brown a Grammy nomination and two W.C. Handy Awards – but to say its a highly credible sequel would be a severe understatement.
Recorded at New Orleans’ Ultrasonic Studios, the effort benefits from tight arrangements, a seamless balance between R&B and jazz and the duality of humorous and romantic themes. Though Brown’s yelping voice’ may not be what it was four decades ago when she was a ubiquitous force on R&B radio, there’s no doubting her passion. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s got an all-star band that includes Duke Robillard on guitar, bassist James Singleton and trumpet player Charlie Miller, as well as the core of her touring unit.
A Good Day opens ominously with the title cut, a lament for happier times that serves as a perfect theme for the reality check of the post-Mardi Gras period. With the bill collectors calling, and the kids needing better shoes, Ruth’s headed to church- I got nothin’ left to lose.
From there the messages continue to blaze a trail of despair intertwined with humor. Several songs were newly written for Ruth, Including the light-hearted “Can’t Stand a Broke Man,” said to be inspired by a T-shirt spotted on a woman at a Baton Rouge convenience store. “A Lover is Forever” returns to a more classic, torch-song format, one of the album’s many tales of unrequited love.
The Johnny Otis penned “Ice Water in Your Veins” slides the listener an effective shot of funky R&B following the wrenching tales of woe, and the traditional “Cabbage Head” lightens the mood with kind of a bawdy children’s fable communicated through a New Orleans jazz medium. On this cut and others, Brown proves she’s a more-than-able storyteller.
Brown gets back to her bread and butter with “The Richest One; wittily voicing disgust for her man and his wrongdoings: If bad times paid interest/l’d have you to thank/I’d be driving a brand new car/and have money in the bank. “Be Good to Me” follows the trend, letting her man know she’s had a rough day and she’s not going to put up with any foolishness. Though it’s perhaps her best vocal effort on the disc, the closer “I Believe I Can Fly” relies on trite lyrics and an overused melody. Did the arrangers put too much wind beneath Brown’s wings on the gospel-styled track?
The 56 minutes of excellent music leading up to “Fly’s” silliness more -than make up for the out-of-place swan song. A Good Day for the Blues is yet another testament to the relentless energy, creativity and spirit of Ruth Brown. Production and musicianship are equally as superb, with the entire effort coming across as a top-notch Jazz Fest performance without the feedback or crowd chatter. Ruth Brown and company are going strong.
