Karen Lawrence & Blue By Nature - Best Of Live (Remastered) (2018)

'Best of Live' from Karen Lawrence and Blue By Nature takes the most popular streamed and viewed songs from their 'Live at the Lake' CD and distills them into a cohesive, dynamic, and revitalized blues listening experience. In the eight song collection Ms. Lawrence's stunning and dynamic vocals come to the forefront as her well crafted songs reveal a story common to many women living in 'a man's world'. This is expressed in the simple lyric she sings to guitarist Rick Dufay in the song 'You Got Me Workin':

You call that workin', you don't know what workin' is.
Tryin' to get a man to treat you right is a job that never ends…you got me workin'.

Lawrence herself has consistently overwhelmed critics and fans with her passion and unabashed honesty as she takes them on an emotional roller coaster ride with every song. A music performer since the age of 9, she fronted her first band, a blues outfit, at the age of 13. Lawrence's distinctive and emotive vocal style put her on international critics "Best Female Singer" lists. Over the years she has shared the stage with Coco Taylor, Buddy Guy, been praised for her great voice by John Lee Hooker, and Marie Dixon of the Blues Heaven Foundation and that is to name only a few.

For 'Best of Live', Fred Hostetler picked and edited the songs and then re-mastered the tracks with Robbie Cribbs. The tracks focus on the great singing and writing of Ms. Lawrence, the tightness of a seasoned live band, and are kept a length which lends themselves best to radio and internet streaming listeners.

The previous double CD 'Live at the Lake' was recorded live with the original band at its peak in 1997 by legendary producer Jack Douglas. It was well received by many blues and rockin' blues outlets, but at over an hour and a half of music some critics found it "a bit on the wearing side." ' Best of Live' overcomes all obstacles of live performance in this re-mastered and edited selection overseen by rhythm guitarist and co-writer Fred Hostetler.

Media Quotes:
• Stand-outs…Karen Lawrence, whose Joplinesque vocals and energy brought the crowd to its feet. Blues Revue
• Tina Turner and Janis Joplin are names that readily sprang to mind… in Karen Lawrence the band has a charismatic singer whose voice only matches the power and intensity of the aforementioned superstars, but one whose roots are even more firmly entrenched in the blues…this lady is a major blues talent. BLUEPRINT (British Blues Society)
• Led by dynamo lead vocalist Karen Lawrence, Blue By Nature is at their soul-stirring best …House of Blues News Media
• "When I first heard these guys play, they blew me right out of the water. The combination Karen Lawrence's smoky vocals and the guitar pyrotechnics…truly makes this band live up to its name, Blue By Nature. Dan 'Elwood Blues' Aykroyd, House of Blues Radio Hour.
• A great live document. This album is electric and just plain good…a must have. Southland Blues Magazine
• Karen Lawrence sings up a storm…potent isn't a strong enough adjective to describe her speaker intensity vocals. Her band is first rate…Grade A Los Angeles Times