© Bluestronomical Publishing Inc. 2008

Wanda Johnson
Hold What You Got
Erwin Music

Wanda Johnson may well be on her way to becoming the new voice of soul and blues. Hailing from Belton, South Carolina, Johnson was born in 1963 into an all-girl family that was constantly surrounded by music. In the early ’90s, Johnson began sitting in with local bands. By 1999, her lovely voice and tremendous stage presence caught the attention of Gary Erwin (aka Shrimp City Slim) - a blues keyboard player/singer/songwriter, promoter and record label owner. The two have been collaborating ever since, and Johnson continues to hold her day job as a victims’ right advocate.

As with her two prior releases, Steve Green recorded, mixed and mastered the 14 new songs over a few days. The primary songwriters were Johnson and Slim who contributed more than half of the material himself. Hold What You Got features Wanda Johnson (vocals) and the six-piece Shrimp City Slim Band who work as Johnson’s support band when she is on the road.

The opening track - the title cut - is a fun song about a skinny little thing becoming a big leg woman. On it, Johnson’s vocals make her sound elderly and appear wise. You’ll sing along with the chorus on the catchy "Give Your Face A Rest". Motown meets Stax on "Wheel Your Love To Me" where Juke Joint Johnny’s harp infuses blues into the pop sounding song. Comparisons between Johnson and a young Irma Thomas have been drawn in the past. You’ll hear why on the classy ballad "Your Side Of Town". It is a lovely and tender song, but the chorus is too repetitive and the lyrics leave too many questions unanswered. For fans of the six-string, "Girlfriend" features Silent Eddie Phillips’ low down and dirty slide guitar. You’d be hard pressed to call this a blues album as the melodies are more aligned with R&B and soul. Still, "Believe Me Baby" is a very blues-like song that depicts a smoky cocktail lounge.

Johnson’s first two CDs – Call Me Miss Wanda and Natural Resource - were filled with happy and fun melodies. Some of that same girlish nature exists here, but overall Hold What You Got reflects a mature and strong-willed woman. Wanda Johnson has created a radio-friendly pop music CD. At the forefront is the ivory of Slim who shares the singer’s spotlight. Johnson’s full potential is yet to come. When it does, she’ll be one of the great vocalists of our generation.

- Tim Holek -


Southwest Blues CD Review - March 2008

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