It's not often that I delay the publication of the monthly Blues Bytes issue to include a review of an album that I just received. But as soon as I heard just a few cuts from Not Defeated from Ottawa, Ontario singer / multi-instrumentalist Angelique Francis, I could not wait to relay the details of this fabulous album.

The music on Not Defeated is described as a blend of blues, soul, gospel, funk, and rock, but I hear mostly blues with the other forms of music coming in at times to make such a rich, enjoyable sound. While listening to it for the first time, I'd keep thinking that this must be the best cut  ... until the next one came along that was just as good. It's a full collection of music, with 15 songs co-written by Francis and her father / drummer Kiran Francis.

It's truly a family affair, with sisters Kharincia (sax) and Kira (trombone) making up part of the horn section, another sister Kayla contributing vocals, and the aforementioned papa Kiran on drums. Rounding out this very tight ensemble are Ed Liter (trumpet), Dave Williamson (electric guitar), and Andrew Knox (trumpet). Special guest appearances come from noted blues guitarists Eric Gales and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram.

There's a lot of sound coming out of this group, but there's no doubt that it's Angelique's show all the way. She's a powerfully rich vocalist, and also plays upright bass, harmonica, keyboards, and cigar box guitar.

Kicking off this jam is "Sugarcane Juke Joint," preceded by crowd conversation before we get sultry, seductive vocals from Angelique on a slow blues, with occasional harmonica parts coming in. Kira's trombone accompaniment gives this a vibe that makes one think that it's a 1930s blues classic. Kayla's backing vocals supplements her sister's strong, almost baritone lines.

Moving more into current day blues/rock is the slow blues, "Escape," with Kingfish providing his typical exquisite guitar playing. Angelique's mournful but empowered vocals are supported by sister Kayla, multiple voices putting a gospel feel over the guitar parts as she sings about escaping both her tears and her fears. It ends with Kingfish's guitar solo reinforcing the mood of the song.

 "Watch Me Grow" starts with the multiple voices and trumpet accompaniment that give this song of defiance and personal growth a jazzy gospel feeling. Angelique continually reminds that she's going to keep growing, and it ends with a male voice (probably Kiran) in a spoken voice summary of the song.

"Not Defeated" starts as a straight blues, thanks to Williamson's guitar work, before Angelique's powerful vocals announce that she may be down but she's not defeated. There's defiance in her voice as she sends a message to the listener to never give up. The guitar accompaniment helps keep the mood going, and towards the end we get a stinging solo from Williamson.

Eric Gales joins the band on guitar, with Angelique adding organ accompaniment on the slow blues "Train Coming." This train symbolizes how she won't be bound by the mentalities of common conventionalities, eventually spreading her wings to leave behind the weight, the hate, the fear, and the load. This was one of the songs that I didn't think any to follow could be better.

But wait, there's more.

"Gimme What You Got" is a pleasant blues shuffle, with the backing vocals making this sound kind of like a '60s girl group doing the blues, except much better. It's quite the love song, with Williamson turning in a nice blues guitar solo.

"None Tonight" is listed as an interlude, with Angelique's vocals sounding like her voice is coming out of an old scratchy Victrola. This one-minute piece leads into the jazzy "We're Over," thanks to a muted trumpet intro, with her vocals being very echo-y for the first part of the song before reverting to a normal sound as she tells a one-time significant other that the relationship is over. We get noticeable upright bass playing from Angelique providing the rhythm, while tasty trumpet playing again provides the jazz vibe.

"Hit Dog" is another mid-tempo blues shuffle, as Angelique sends out feisty vocals about that man who did her wrong. He's guilty as sin and she's going to put on her black dress and hit the town. She packs a whole lot of power into her voice here.

Angelique opens the feral "When The Heart" with a harmonica solo before the Francis sisters share repetitive vocals. This one's got a very backwoods, swampy feel to it, one that will get the shivers running down your spine.

Kicking off the slow blues, "Dance For Me," is a subtle blues guitar solo before Angelique's mournful voice challenges that other someone to treat her right, with the first way to prove a love is to dance for her. Williamson returns for another quite good blues guitar break, this one lasting until the abrupt ending of the song.

Another slow blues, "Where You Been," opens with guitar and horns setting a plodding rhythm, followed by brief harmonica accompaniment, before Angelique questions about her baby's location and proving that the lies she's hearing are just that. She keeps asking the question "where you been?," with sister Kayla repeating the inquiry in the chorus. Angelique's voice really, really soars throughout the song.

"That Gun" would be an effective handgun control number if guns were not already so ingrained in our society. It's a haunting, mid-tempo blues about the man who decided he needed a gun to get power, fame and glory. His mama cries at first, and then after we hear repeated chorus of "Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang," other mamas are crying because of the use of that same gun. Oh man, this one is designed to scorch the emotions of the listener because of what Angelique calls the cycle of violence.

Angelique takes her voice down an octave on the downhome blues number, "Break Dem Chains," with killer slide guitar work from Williamson and a nice harmonica solo by our star. The lesson here is to make the changes we need, go against the grain, and stand tall in the worst of times. The staccato, repetitive call by Angelique and Kayla to break the chains is especially effective.

Closing this absolutely wonderful album is the mid-tempo blues, "Do That Work," with a bit of a reggae rhythm and the combination of all kinds of sounds and background singing to make this song unlike the previous 14 cuts. It' message is that you are unstoppable if you just do the work. A great ending to a very unique collection of original numbers.

As I listened to this collection of tunes over and over, my first question is why I've never before heard of Angelique Francis, why she isn't already famous, and why this album is not on a bigger record label.

The Francises are obviously a family that have been playing music together for decades, and it comes across in their mutual love for the 15 songs here and how well they blend their sound. I can't recall any other album by a previously unknown artist to affect me like Not Defeated.

She's been recognized with plenty of awards in Canada, but now it's time for the rest of the blues world to learn about Angelique and the band. Perhaps that will all come in time, but at least they are now well-known in my mind.

Angelique has a previous album, and I'll be listening to it before long. To learn more about this outstanding musician and the rest of the band, check out the website. I can pretty much guarantee that you will also become fans of Angelique Francis.

--- Bill Mitchell