© Bluestronomical Publishing Inc. 2010

Liz Melendez
Live
Independent #7751658219

Taken from live recordings at Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, Georgia, Liz Melendez' CD Live demonstrates why this woman is the torchbearer of blues passed down from Stevie Ray Vaughan among many others.

The tipping of the hat to Vaughan is obvious in the long instrumental track "Lenny" in which Liz pulls out the stops with notes and riffing from the Texas Flood songbook.

But she doesn't stay in this groove too long. Her original tune "Sacrifice" takes a knife-cut beat in rocking defiantly against any barriers holding her back.

Whether Liz was thinking of Carlos Santana or not when she penned "Milagro," it's an instrumental passage with Melendez doing Latino flourishes in notes and chording that resembles a psychedelic samba riding an electric snake. The rhythm section of bassist Lex Luther and drummer Shannon Bridges erupt in sync when Melendez' soloing takes flight.

When saluting Stevie Ray, Liz does justice in "Tin Pan Alley" that is as slow and foreboding as Vaughan's studio version. You get the impression that Liz can handle any black cat crossing her path. Her picking of notes is perfectly executed because there's enough space to appreciate them and get between the sound.

For fans of Liz, having this CD in their collection will hold them over when she releases a new CD full of original material. At least with this live one, she can pull in some new fans that are finally getting wind of a young woman who can hold her own against any guy.

- Gary Weeks -


Southwest Blues CD Review - February 2010

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