Saffre - The Uppity Blues Women
Havin' The Last Word
Alligator Records
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After practically a
20-year recording career – entirely on Alligator
Records – Havin' The Last Word (Alligator) is
the concluding release from the critically praised
acoustic blues trio, Saffire - The Uppity Blues
Women. Singer / guitarist / harmonicist Gaye
Adegbalola explains the rationale behind the
break-up: “For many years our visions coincided, but
as we have aged and grown, our individual agendas
have changed.”
Other members of this titanic-talented threesome
include pianist/guitarist/vocalist Ann Rabson and
multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Andra Faye. In 1990,
after six years of playing regionally in Virginia,
they released their self-titled debut album. Quickly
they were catapulted from being local favorites to
international blues stars.
They play and write deep
music. Even if they couldn’t, they’d be remembered
for their delightful voices. Faye is emotive and
expressive with her vocals. With her pleasant voice,
it’s like she was born to be on Broadway. Listen and
you’ll picture her on stage, full of life and
beaming with a confident smile. On the sad, soft,
and stunning "Blue Lullaby," her warbling county &
western voice sounds like Crystal Gayle.
You hear pain in the voices of Rabson and Adegbalola,
but you also detect a strong sense of courage.
Adegbalola delivers vocals on "Bald Headed Blues" –
a rockin’ country blues song about the effects of
chemotherapy and battling cancer – with the
conviction of a fire-and-brimstone sermon-telling
preacher. Everyone sings on "Going Down To The
River." Here, Faye’s voice is soft and pretty,
Rabson’s is bold and it roars, while Adegbalola
mixes both styles. The song is about receiving a new
birth in life. It’s very topical given their post-Saffire
plans, which involve solo careers, speaking
engagements, and teaching.
Their individual styles
stand out on this album. Within a few bars of each
song you can tell whose song it is. The topics of
the 16 songs include the effects of the economy,
getting older, human anatomy, and sex. The CD
contains everything you expect from Saffire, e.g.,
raunchy songs in the tradition of Bessie Smith and
Ma Rainey, and everything is written from a
determined and witty woman’s perspective. "Kitchen
Man" and "Bald Eagle" are loaded with humorous
double entendre lyrics, while "Too Much Butt" is
simply hysterical. Throughout, Rabson’s fingers
dance over the keyboard and make the piano sound
heartfelt and warm. As on "Haste Makes Waste," her
barrelhouse piano rhumbas don’t need the support of
the other band members.
The most provocative
songs are written and/or performed by Adegbalola.
She’d “rather be hated for who I am/than loved for
who I’m not” on "Nothin’ In Your House." A
melodramatic piano solo is present on "Locked Up"
which contains a gospel-like chorus. It was written
for Adegbalola’s cousin, who was imprisoned for
supposedly raping a white woman. While he was
incarcerated, family members died and a feud began
among siblings. She first heard the phrase "locked
up, but not locked out" during a prayer by a deacon
at her church, and immediately knew it belonged in a
song.
The CD’s most memorable
melody is "I Can Do Bad All By Myself." Its
sing-along chorus and chord progression sounds like
a protest song. Lyrically, it's based on fact, but
it’s been embellished for dramatic effect and to
make it completely relevant. The title came from an
inspirational aunt, who had an awful, abusive
marriage. She'd reply, "I can do bad by myself" when
asked why she never remarried. The song’s factual
events involve a friend whose lover spent all of his
money. He only realized what had transpired when his
debit card was rejected during an attempted
transaction.
Saffire are a little
vaudeville, blues, and brazen, but most all of they
are themselves. Hearing these fearless songs reveals
these passionate ladies have lived life, learned
from its misgivings, and are all the better for it.
As heard in lyrics like “bad times make the good
times better,” their songs preach to expect
suffering and to grow from it. Don’t be fooled. This
isn’t a pity party. In their final hour – literally,
as the CD’s runtime is 60 minutes – their strength,
joy, and love is positive. Whenever they decided to
call it quits, you just knew these sassy gals were
going to have the last word.
--- Tim Holek (with
thanks to Gaye Adegbalola for the insight into her
songs)
One of my fondest
memories of Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, was a
show they played here in Scottsdale at the old Rockin’ Horse before a fire took away one of the
great clubs in the Valley. They were full of sass
and attitude as they proceeded to delightfully
entertain all of us who came out that night. I’ve
seen them several times since then, but nothing quite
compares to the magic of that evening. So when their
new record, Havin’ the Last Word, showed up on my
doorstep, I was sad to read that this is indeed,
their last recording as a group as they’ve all
collectively decided to pursue a new set of dreams,
each to their own. I think Bruce Iglauer said it
best in his letter of introduction: “Though this
will be Saffire’s last album, it’s not a requiem;
it’s a celebration.” So let’s start the party and
celebrate all of the joy the women of Saffire have
brought us all over the years!
Andra Faye’s mandolin provides the introduction to
our first cut on the disc, “Going Down To The
River.” A song of rejuvenation, going down to the
river is a way to cleanse life’s troubles away,
“something tells me…everything will be all
right…sometimes its hits you hard…sometimes it lifts
you right off the ground…something tells me…it will
be all right!” The sweet notes of Ann’s piano lead
us into our next tune, “Nothin In Your House.” In
typical Saffire fashion, Ann is just going to do
what Ann wants to do. “When I get liquored up or
drink Jose…Lord, you never know what I might do or
might say…you can say it ain’t ladylike for a girl
get to get soused…but what do I care…I ain’t got
nothing in your house!” Up next is “Kitchen Man,” an
ode to all good things a man can accomplish in the
kitchen. “His jelly roll’s so nice and hot…never fails
to hit the spot…his frankfurters are all so
sweet…how I like his sausage meet…I can’t do
without…my kitchen man!”
“Somebody’s Gotta Give” finds Andra at odds with her
man and this relationship has hit its rough spot.
“Somebody’s got to turn around…if our love is going
to live…are you getting where I’m coming
from…somebody’s got to give!” Andra’s man is just
not appreciating all she’s given him and this one
might not make it. Gaye’s slide guitar leads us into
“Bald Headed Blues,” a discussion of the results of
treatment for cancer. “Doctor said to me, Girl,
you’re going to lose your hair…I thought he meant on
my head…but Lord, he meant everywhere…now my head is
round and shiny…and my ears look really big…but I
still love myself…no need to hide it with a wig!” In
“Since You’ve Been Gone,” Ann is left to deal with
the aftermath of a failed relationship. “I saw you
in town today…you asked me how I’ve been…I didn’t
want to let my feelings show…so I just said “I’m
doing fine”…held on to this pride of mine…I’ll be
damned before I’ll let you know!
“Blue Lullaby” finds Andra back at the microphone,
“I sing a blue lullaby…most every night…count every
star that I see…hoping there’ll be…one shining
bright!” Gaye’s harmonica in the background provides
a soothing, reassuring tone that everything will be
all right and is just beautiful. Very well done.
Next we find Ann back on a tune she wrote with EG
Kight, “Traveling at the Speed of Love.” “I’m a
state of shock…my heart’s electrified…feet flying
off the ground…but I’m hanging on tight…but it feels
so good…traveling at the speed of love!” All’s good
and she’s definitely in love with this traveling
man! “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” is the title of
Gaye’s tale of woe. “Now you come home…all messed
up…your words are counterfeit…yea, you steal and deal,
you pawn and scam…everything has turned
to…???...debt! I’ve lost more than my assets…I’ve
lost my good name too…well, things will get
better…now that I’m through with you.”
The deep, deep tones of the upright bass have Andra
at the helm and telling us all about “Too Much
Butt.” “I may have a lot…but I’ll tell you
what…there’s no such thing as…too much butt!”
Definitely a tune that reminds us all why we loves
these ladies so much. “Haste Makes Waste” finds Ann
lamenting the unfaithfulness of her lover. “They say
good things come to those who wait…and I, guess they
do…while you were waiting for me…your good thing
came to you…now, I’m waiting by the telephone…like
you used to do…they say good things come to those
who wait…and I guess they do.” A man in jail is the
object of Gaye’s consideration in “Locked Up.” “And
so we pray…for grace to day…to light the path…to
clear the way…we love you so…want you to know…that
we will never, never let you go…you may be locked
up…but not locked out…of my heart!”
“I bought my ticket…but the plane ain’t flying…can’t
rent a car…for all my trying…I’ll start walking home
to you.” Andra is working hard to make her
relationship this work and she’s not happy that she
left without clearing the air. “Walkin’ on Home to
You” seems to be the only alternative she has left
to get back to her man and set the record straight.
“Bald Eagle” is Gaye’s latest commentary on a fan
favorite of Saffire, “Silver Beaver.” “I’ve got a
fine…bald eagle…wait till you see her spread her
wings…and you ain’t heard nothing…until you hear my
bald sing!” Fans of Saffire will know exactly what
I’m talking about and we’ll leave it at that.
“I’m Growing Older,” a tune by Deanna Bogart,
typifies the Saffire attitude about life and aging.
“When I’m over 80, what a lady…they’ll all
swoon…I’ll strut my stuff…knock down any door…I know
just what I want…and I know I want more…I’m growing
older…and I’m just fine getting old!” Another Ann/EG
Kight tune, “The Bad Times,” is the final song on Havin’ the Last Word. “We walked through the fire…oh
what a fire…we had burning…deep in our soul…kept us
going…all the while knowing…these words of
wisdom…we’ve been told. The bad times…make the good
times better…bad times make our love grow strong…if
we can’t keep holding on together…the good times
will before long.”
Havin the Last Word is just that. Ann, Gaye and Andra have taken the time and care to leave us with
a wonderful record that serves as a loving testament
to all that Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women have
stood for: hard work, belief in each other, attitude
and an undying love for their fans. These crazy,
wild, loveable women will be on tour for the rest of
this year so go see them when you can, take the time
to thank them for all the joy they’ve given you and
tell them you love them. A group of women like this
in Blues comes once in a lifetime and fortunately
for all of us, it was our lifetime.
--- Kyle Deibler