Welcome back The Queen of Blues Rock Guitar by Richard Ludmerer

Joanna Connor

Six String Stories

M.C. Records

Joanna Connor was one of the performers at the 2015 Bradenton Blues Festival. Her set showcased her fabulous guitar stylings. She is a Chicago based singer & songwriter who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and was magnetically drawn to the blues of the windy city. She has shared the stage with A.C. Reed; James Cotton; Junior Wells and Buddy Guy.

Conner released her first recording “Believe It” on the Blind Pig Record label in 1989. She released three more studio recordings on that imprint including 1992’s “Fight” produced by Jim Gaines with a horn section including Jim Spake, sax; and Scott Thompson, trumpet. In 2002 she signed with M.C. records and released “The Joanna Connor Band”. Her primary influences include Luther Allison and Bonnie Raitt.

This new album is Connor’s eleventh overall and first International release in fourteen years. The band consists of Connor, guitar and vocals; Marion Lance Lewis, drums, bass, percussion, synthesizer and vocals; Jeff Lewis, keyboards; and Omar Coleman, harmonica. The horn section includes Charlie Kimble, tenor sax; Gary Solomon, alto and soprano sax, and Charles Pryor, trumpet and flugelhorn. The album is produced by Marion Lance Lewis.

Eight of the ten tracks were written by the songwriting team of Connor and producer Lewis. “It’s A Woman’s Way” opens this set with some unbelievable guitar. Lewis’ bass is relentless. “By Your Side” is a good vocal with another incandescent solo; Connor lights it up. “We Stayed Together” is marvelously sung and played, it is blues rock at it’s finest. “Heaven” features Lewis’ synthesizer and percussion and the horn section.

The two covers are “Golden”, a jazzy piece, written by Anthony Bell and R n’ B stylist Jill Scott; and Elmore James’ “The Sky is Crying”.

You can help welcome back The Queen of Blues Rock Guitar by catching her live and purchasing one of her albums off of the bandstand.

Richard Ludmerer