Alice Howe Visions self-released

Visions is roots musician Alice Howe’s debut full-length release and the Boston singer/songwriter/guitarist pays tribute to the blues and folk sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. Produced by Bonnie Raitt bassist Freebo, the album features ten tracks, split between choice covers and first-rate original songs that ably represent both genres. Howe and Freedo are joined by guitarist Fuzzbee Morse, keyboardist John “J.T.” Thomas, and percussionist John Molo.

The opener, “Twilight,” is a beautiful, wistful country-folk tune reflecting on coming to a crossroads in life, and Taj Mahal’s “Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes” gets an enjoyable, funky blues treatment. The pensive “Still On My Mind” and the gentle “What We Got Is Gold” are prime examples of folk music, and Howe’s lovely vocals are just wonderful on these two tracks. Howe’s reading of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me” is fantastic, the combination of Howe’s sweet vocal, Thomas’ keyboards, Freebo’s bass, and a smashing horn section is an irresistible mix.

Howe does a fine job on “Too Long At The Fair,” a Joel Zoss tune that comes from one of Bonnie Raitt’s early recordings, and Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee” goes from Delta dust to Memphis grease with Howe’s steamy interpretation. “Getaway Car” stays in the same region, a horn-fueled blues romp, and “You Just Never Know” is an acoustic journey to Americana. The disc concludes with a superb cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” a song Howe was seemingly born to cover.

A beautiful, timeless set of blues and folk originals and standards, Alice Howe’s Visions is a most impressive set that will satisfy any music fan.

--- Graham Clarke