Kat Riggins never fails to impress with her recordings, and her sixth release, Revival (House of Berry Productions) does not break her streak. The Miami native dazzles with a superb ten-song set of original songs written by Riggins and co-producer Tim Mulberry (who also plays bass, drums, keyboards and horns) that deftly mix blues, soul, R&B, rock, and gospel. Mulberry, guitarist Erik Guess, and background vocalists Shaelyn Mulberry and Mark Barner make up the Blues Revival, Riggins’ band.

The rousing “Lucky” opens the disc on a lively note, with Riggins’ providing a tough, gritty vocal. “Revived” mixes funk and R&B seamlessly with Guess’s soaring guitar work and Mulberry’s keyboards, and the catchy “Southern Soul” keeps up the brisk pace. “New Level” is a rock-edged mid-tempo track driven by Riggins’ feisty vocal. The mellow “Set Me Free” slows things down for a bit as she pleads from deep in the heart for release.

The appealing “Mojo” combines blues and funk with satisfying results, and “Chasing Time” is an edgy mix of blues and rock. “Mighty” serves as a personal testimony for Riggins who refuses to let any obstacles stand in her way, while “Old Time Way” has a rollicking old-school, good time feel as she reminisces fondly about the sound of music from the past. The disc wraps on an encouraging note with the gentle, folk blues “Healer.”

Kat Riggins is doing her best to bring about a revival of the blues. As The Hook used to say, “It’s in her, and it’s got to come out!” It does just that with her latest release, Revival.

--- Graham Clarke