Bridget Kelly Band

Blues Warrior

Alpha Sun Records

Bridget Kelly and Tim Fik met sometime in May of 2007. They were married that December. Tim produced two Americana albums for Bridget but was convinced she should change her style and sing Blues. Tim was already a guitarist well versed in all styles of the Blues. Thus the Bridget Kelly Band was born. In 2013 they released “Back in the Blues” and in 2014 “Forever in Blues”. The Bridget Kelly Band participated in both the 2015 and 2016 International Blues Challenges and finished as semi-finalists both years. Their third cd “Outta the Blues” was released in May, 2016 and they followed up with last year’s double cd “Bone Rattler”. In 2018 guitarist Fik was honored by receiving a “Keeping The Blues Alive” (KBA) award from the Blues Foundation for his “efforts in promoting and preserving the Blues”.

This is The Bridget Kelly Band’s fifth studio release in the past six years debuting this week at the #24 spot on the Roots Music Reports Top 50 “Blues Album” chart. The band includes Kelly, vocals; Fik, guitars; and either Mark Armbrecht or Mike Hamm, bass; and Alex Klausner, Michael Barady or Christine Alexander, drums. Guest musicians include Chris Alexander, keyboards; and “Little Mike” Markowitz, harmonica.

Fik’s incendiary guitar sets up Kelly’s sultry vocals. All of the songs are written by Kelly and Fik. “Sweet Sugar Baby” is a sassy tune with some great piano from Alexander. “It’s A Shame” includes the lyric “when good love comes to an end”. “Alone” features a great solo from Fik and the line “I must like it that way”. “Blues Inside of Me” is a slow dramatic blues; “Little Mike” is featured on harp.

Many of their new songs are topical and improved songwriting is what separates this album from their previous work. “Cabrini-Green” is about today’s lack of public housing. “Nameless Nobody” is a tale of homelessness. On “Stolen” Fik gives us some great string bending while Bridget sings about human trafficking. “No Good Man Blues” is about domestic abuse; while “Snow Fall” is about the lure of cocaine.  The closer “Chemo” is a blues rocker dedicated to Grandma Kelly, Joyce Hanken, and Candye Kane.

“Blues Warrior” is the exciting new album and best yet from The Bridget Kelly Band.

Richard Ludmerer

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