Shari Puorto

My Obsession

Blue Rock Music

Shari Puorto was raised in Orange, CT. She moved to California sometime in the late 1990’s and began performing all over the state. Her musical influences include rock and blues singers Janis Joplin; Bonnie Raitt and Etta James. Puorto’s vocal tone and control have been compared to Bonnie Bramlett. Puorto won “Best Female Vocalist” at the South Bay Music Awards in 2004. Puorto released her first album “Why is the Grass Always Greener?” in 2005; and won the SBMA award again in 2006.

Puorto’s follow-up recording 2008’s “Down The Road” was co-produced by Barry Goldberg whose credits include The Electric Flag, and The Chicago Blues Re-union. In 2010 Puorto won a Los Angeles Music Award for her song “Free” off of that album. In 2011 Puorto released her third album “Real”.

For “My Obsession” Puorto enlisted co-producer Tony Braunagel. Braunagel’s credits include Taj Mahal’s Phantom Blues Band and The Robert Cray Band. For this recording they formed a really rockin’ band. From the Phantom Blues Band are Braunagel, drums; Johnny Lee Schell, rhythm and lead guitars; and Mike Finnigan, B-3 and piano. Bob Glaub is featured on bass while guest guitarists include Jimmy Vivino; Steve Fister, and Johnny Hawthorn. Guesting on piano are Goldberg and Jimmy Pugh. Guest horn players include Darrell Leonard and Joe Sublett also from The Phantom Blues Band. Background singers include Kenna Ramsey, Julie Delgado, and Deb Ryder.

Eleven of the twelve tracks included were co-written by Puorto with members of her band; eight of them written with Goldberg. “Home of The Blues” features great slide guitar from Fister; while “Old Silo Road” explores Puorto’s country roots and features Finnigan’s piano and Schell on guitar.

Two tunes were written with her guitarist Hawthorn including “Six Months Sober”. Puorto’s tell us that she was addicted to a man.

The title track “My Obsession” was written with guitarist Vivino who sits in on this and two other tracks. The song is about Puorto’s obsession with shoes. When she says “give me them shoes” she really means it, as she tells us she’s a size seven.

The only cover is “When a Man Loves a Woman” the 1966 hit which sold over a million copies for Percy Sledge. Sledge was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and passed away in 2015. Due to the songs enormous success it is rarely revived. Puorto’s version is so good we now know why her vocal tone and control are often compared to Bonnie Bramlett.

Hopefully we will be hearing more from Puorto in the near future as this is one of the best blues rock albums of the year.

Richard Ludmerer

*EDITORS NOTE: Shari Puorto was part of the “Making a Scene INDIE BLUES VOL 1“