Doña Oxford
Rowena Said
released in 1999
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This is a keyboard dominated blues disc, which makes sense, as Dona Oxford is a keyboard player, who has toured with Shemekia Copeland (daughter of the late Texas blues guitar legend Johnny Copeland) band. Her playing is very strong and she and her chosen instrument push the band along to great levels of energy. She comes from a musical family and was exposed to a wide variety of music when younger but she has devoted her energies into the blues and with good result. Eight of this discs 10 songs ( a tad short at 37+ minutes) were written by her and the songs are solid traveling blues songs. Travelin’ blues is that conglomeration of blues fused to solid Rock & Roll, music that is conducive to cruising down the highway. This is the blues from a city girl that has learned her lessons from people from around the country. The two strongest influences are the Texas blues of Johnny Copeland as transmitted by daughter Shemekia, and the Chicago blues piano tradition of Johnnie Johnson. Her band is solid behind her and Arthur Neilson contributes some wonderful guitar and steel. This is a solid effort here and there is promise here of better things to come.
Songs and times – all songs by Dona Oxford except where noted:
1. Cinderella – 3:03
2. Down In New Orleans – 2:53
3. Rowena Said – 4:50
4. Big Hands, Big Feet – 3:18
5. Bye Bye M’Baby – 4:50
6. Just A Little Bit – 3:37 – R. Gordon
7. I’m on Fire – 3:35 – Reldman, Goldstein & Gottehrer
8. Red, White & Blues – 5:16
9. It’s Rainin’ – 3:38
10. Doe’s Blues – 2:04
Dona Oxford – vocals, keyboards & organ and producer
Arthur Neilson – guitars electric & steel and producer
Charles Torres – bass
Dan Hickey – drums
Additional musicians
Brian Hess – bass
Billy Schroeder – drums
Background vocals
Perkin Barnes
Brenda Perina
Elizabeth Votlucka
Viv