Bonnie Bramlett
Beautiful
Rockin' Camel Music
available on Camel Music
This is Doyle Bramhall’s first all original record The voice, the sultriness, the punchy rhythms, and the sassiness are still there for all to hear on this disc, Delaney isn’t, however there is plenty of soul and grit to hang the vocals on. The supporting musicians gathered by producer Johnny Sandlin on this disc have that southern soul sound down which is to be expected of a band that include such stalwarts of the Muscle Shoals scene as Spooner Oldham, Bill Stewart, James Pennebaker, Tommy Talton, David Hood, as well as Randall Bramlett, and Bekka Bramlett (Bonnie and Delaney’s daughter). And the voice of Bonnie Bramlett, the only white Ikette ever in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, is still the voice that wraps around you, enfolds you, and communicates with such intense feelings no matter what the tempo of the song. This disc is a mélange of good songwriting with a very diverse group of songs; from Stephen Stills classic, “For
What Its Worth,” to Billy Joe Shaver’s, “I Do Believe,” to the Randall Bramblett penned, “Shake Something Loose,” which is a Stones style rocker. Then there is her duet with her daughter, on a tune Bekka wrote with Gary Nicholson, and is very reminiscent of the music of Delaney and Bonnie. This is a disc that has a long sustained sizzle and a life that is gained from the strength and steel of the players. Perhaps her strongest, most heartfelt singing is on Steve Conn’s, “Beautiful,” which just has that truth imbedded in it.