- Bryon Harris
Sheba The Mississippi Queen – ‘A Real Good Woman’
Sheba The Mississippi Queen is a stellar blues singer-songwriter that you will fall in love with. Born in 1953, Sheba’s life began in the cotton fields of Mississippi. Her album, ‘A Real Good Woman’ takes you on the journey of her life from there, to current times through story telling lyrics that incorporate rich black history and culture from the south, her life onstage, and her time working in Atlanta.
The first track off the album is “Oh So Good” which kicks the album off with high energy. The song begins with a high-octane arrangement with a rocking vibe fronted by a wailing lead guitar playing a melodic solo. Soon, Sheba enters singing, “My man he loves me treats me oh so good,” displaying her classic vocal style and delivering a sense of nostalgia with each line she sings. Progressing with killer instrumental sections, “Oh So Good,” is easy listening making it a great way to start the album.
Next on the list is “Pourin’ Rain.” The song starts off with a grooving guitar lick that embodies a classic blues sound, immediately getting stuck in your head as the song builds towards the first verse. With accents from keys and horns the lively arrangement will keep you captivated. When Sheba enters singing, “Here I stand in the pourin rain/Nobody tryin to ease my pain/I can hear your voice and your whispers/ the faster you go the less it hurts/Well I wish somebody would stop this pourin rain” her soulful voice completes the track as she sings about her story.
The next up-beat tune off the album is “Big Man.” This features a unique and exciting instrumental arrangement that has an interesting rhythmic groove. Starting off with just percussion and guitar the arrangement builds slowly as other instruments layer on to create entrancing interactions between each other. With engaging solo’s and easy to remember melodies, “Big Man” is a relatable song that is sure to stick with you after listening to the album.
Slowing things down, Sheba woos you with the title track of the album “Real Good Woman.” In “Real Good Woman” Sheba sings about how it is hard for her to finds a good man which is ironic as it follows “Big Man” where she sings about how she has fallen for a man. Her warm vocal tone is sure to make this song a fan favorite as she sings through this chapter of her story. The slower instrumentals provide a nice change of pace to the album making it a great addition to the project.
“Butter On My Rolls” is sure to be another favorite song from the album. The track kicks off with a 30 second piano intro that will have you engaged in the song from the start. Leading out of the intro, a drum fill breaks into the first vocal section of the song as Sheba sings, “Early in the morning/Late at night/Egging for some loving don’t seem right.” Sheba shows off a growling blues tone that will have you falling in love with the vocals on this track.
Another track to take the spotlight is “Good Good Lovin’” This sultry track transitions from spoken word to smooth vocal sections. Riveting instrumental and solo sections keep the song progressing from the simpler vocal sections of the song. Sheba does well to set the mood for the track pairing perfectly with the slow winding instrumentals of the track. Singing, “Don’t want your money/Don’t want alibis/Want a man that’s gonna love me/And do it right,” Sheba is sure to win over listeners with this track.
The album closes with a hit track “Can’t Help Lovin’ My Man.” The track kicks off with a nice open arrangement with melodic, smooth synth lines. The arrangement has hints of more modern sounding R&B music making it a distinguished track of the album. Singing, “He aint got much money/Hes kind of mean/But when he holds me ooo what he makes me feel/I cant help but love him/I can help lovin’ my man,” Sheba’s lush tone accompanied by background vocals is sure to win over your heart with this grooving ballad. “Can’t Help Lovin’ My Man” is one of the strongest tracks off the album making it a memorable end to this love story.
‘A Real Good Woman’ is a fascinating love story that will captivate you throughout its entirety. The full album features 13 tracks that showcase Sheba’s stellar vocal tone and legendary blues sound. The album was released at the beginning of this month so be sure to take a listen. For more information on She The Mississippi Queen, be sure to visit her artist page on Bongo Boy Records.