Sing It! (CD - 1998)

Personnel: Marcia Ball (vocals, piano); Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson (vocals); Michael Toles (acoustic & electric guitars); Ed Petersen, Joe Cabral, Derek Huston (tenor saxophone); Victor Goines (baritone saxophone); Barney Floyd, Jamil Sharif (trumpet); David Torkanowsky (acoustic & electric pianos, Hammond B-3 organ); Davell Crawford (Hammond B-3 organ); Lee Allen Zeno (bass); Raymond Weber (drums, percussion); Scott Billington (tambourine).

Recorded at Ultra Sonic Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana from April to September, 1997. Includes liner notes by Ben Sandmel.

SING IT! was nominated for a 1999 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

A trio of R&B divas: Thomas, a long-time New Orleans songstress; Ball, a native Louisianan crooner; and Nelson, lead singer for the blues-rock group Mother Earth since the mid 60's-- team up on this solid collection of dance and sultry soul numbers. Employing Atlantic/Motown-style arrangements and girl-group backing harmonies, these three bring sophisticated craft and well-seasoned throats to the mic for such groove-inducers as "Love Maker, " "I Want To Do Everything For You," and the rhythmic strut of "Woman On The Move."

Vocal duties are distributed evenly to showcase the expressive capabilities of each, particularly on smokey ballads like "He's Mine" and "You Don't Nothin' About Love," so Ball, Thomas and Nelson each get the chance to display their gifts as vocalists, to exercise their individual phrasing, intonation, and timbre. Their interaction as a trio is excellent as well, churning out thick harmonies with slinky syncopation over the solid grooves of their fine backing band. SING IT! is a rare example of the disappearing entity: a real soul album. Nominated for a Grammy in 1999. minimize