Erica Guerin - Get Real (1997)

Tracklist

01. You Can't Drive Me Away
02. Get Real
03. That's How It Will Be
04. Uneasy Street
05. Take Away Your Trash
06. Last To Know
07. Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean
08. What I'd Do To Get Your Love Back
09. Something You Got
10. The Sun Shines on Everyone
11. First Thing I Want ... Last Thing I Need



Erica Guerin is a soulful and sassy singer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to the disc’s liner notes she was discovered by Kenny Neal and Bob Greenlee at the Baton Rouge Blues Festival (This isn’t exactly true. ) Greenlee was so impressed by her that he brought her to the Kingsnake studios in Florida to record this new CD.

On "Get Real" Erica is backed by Kingsnake’s familiar cast of characters which include Warren King, Ace Moreland, and Bryan Bassett on guitar, Greenlee on bass, Ronnie Foster on drums, and Dwight Champagne on keyboards. Because this is a Kingsnake recording, there is of course a full horn section.

Awhile back I had the opportunity to talk to Kenny Neal at Black-Eyed Sallys in Hartford. I asked him about Erica. "I been knowing Erica my whole life, " he said. "Her father had a big band back in the late fifties and early sixties and he was good friends with my father so they always been like family. She’s very talented, her whole family actually. All her brothers they have a band together and Erica sings with them. I hope I can do something in the blues field where I can bring her along with me, along with my sister Jackie too. I produced her first album, this is her second one now and it’s nice working with her. She’s very soulful and I think she’s got a big future ahead of her and if I can help in any way I will."

Well there you go. Anyone who gets that kind of enthusiastic endorsement from someone of Kenny Neal’s stature has got to have the right stuff! Time will tell if Erica is on her way towards being the next Koko Taylor. She sure is headed in the right direction. "Get Real" is an excellent record.

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