Robin Bank$
Permanent Record
(LW019901)
Robin Bank$ is a Canadian bred blues singer who after years of working
the Canadian circuit, packed up her bags and moved to Dallas intent on
making waves in the Dallas blues scene. Permanent Record is a recording
that Bank$ made with her Canadian band before splitting for Dallas.
Backing Bank$ on the recording is Mark Martin on guitar, Al Lerman on
harmonica and Peter Kadar on organ. The disc opens with a hard driving
shuffle entitled "Yer Usin' Me," which showcases Bank$'
extraordinary vocal ability. As soon as she begins singing the first lines
of the song, you realize that she has a voice tailor made to sing the
blues. When I initially heard this recording, I was taken aback by the
similarities between Bank$ and Lou Ann Barton's vocal style. Both women
can really belt out a tune when called for, but can also convey a wide
range of emotions on slow ballads as well. Throughout the disc, Mark
Martin provides outstanding support on guitar. Sounding like a cross
between Ronnie Earl and Jimmie Vaughan, Martin plays with economy and
great taste, giving Bank$ a worthy instrumental foil to work off of. A
great voice is not the only weapon in Bank$ arsenal, she also cowrote
several songs on this recording that are outstanding as well.
"The
Spell" is an atmospheric tale of seduction, while "Since You
Been Gone" is an up tempo song with a great hook. Both songs contain
elements of pop music while maintaining a blues feeling, which makes the
songs more accessible to a broader range of listeners. My favorite tune on
the disc is "Rocket Boogie," another original tune done in the
swinging style which is currently very popular on the West Coast. Banks
also includes a few covers on the album including Irma Thomas' "You
Can Have My Husband (But Please Don't Mess With My Man)" and Lazy
Lester's "Sugar Coated Love" which are both tunes that Barton
has recorded in the past and serve as another common denominator in both
artist's styles. Permanent Record is a fine record and is highly
recommended to anyone that likes the blues. In fact, it may be one of the
finest independently recorded albums that I have heard in a long time. I
have had the pleasure of seeing Robin Bank$ perform live several times
since her arrival in Dallas and have been very impressed with her
performances. I highly recommend taking the time to catch one of her live
shows. While you're there you might try picking up one of these CD's from
her - you won't be disappointed.
- Barry T. Gober -
Southwest Blues CD Review - February 2000
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