MARCIA BALL

The Tattooed Lady and The Alligator Man

Alligator Records

12 tracks/43:21

By Mark Thompson

After a three year recording hiatus, Marcia Ball is back with her sixth release on Alligator Records –and it is an exceptionally good one! Full of potent original songs and powerful arrangements that flesh out the material, the disc illuminates Ball’s many talents. She gets a helping hand from producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Joe Louis Walker) and her crack band that includes Michael Schermer on guitar, Don Bennett on bass, Damien Llanes on drums, and Thad Scott on tenor saxophone.

The title cut gets things rolling in fine fashion as Ball recounts the grand tale of love in the midst of the carnival sideshow, complemented by her killer piano work. Her playing on “Like There’s No Tomorrow” reflects the New Orleans piano tradition that Ball learned growing up in Louisiana. Mark “Kaz’ Kazanoff on baritone sax, Jimmy Shortell on trumpet, Randy Zimmerman on trombone, and Scott boost the energy level while Ball encourages listeners to have a good time, a song sure to get some play come Mardi Gras time. “The Squeeze is On” is poignant assessment of our troubled financial times accented by Terrance Simien’s accordion and backing vocal.

Guitarist Schermer tears it up on “Hot Springs,” underscoring Ball’s concerns about what her man is up to in the Arkansas city. The rollicking pace of “Can’t Blame Nobody but Myself” features another killer solo from Ball and a wailing harp solo from guest Delbert McClinton.  “Clean My House” finds the singer ready to kick an unappreciative man to the curb. The rich organ tones from Red Young ride the shuffle rhythm on “Get You a Woman,” a song that encapsulates the many improvements a good woman can bring to a man’s existence. “He’s the One” finds Ball celebrating the love of her life with Schermer and sax man Scott delivering robust solos.

Shelly King, Carolyn Wonderland, and Amy Helm add harmony vocals on the beautiful hymn, “Human Kindness,” one of four tracks that form the emotional core of the disc. Ball pores out her woes on “Lazy Blues,” the relaxed pace set by the band emphasizing her heartbreak.  On “Just Keep Holding On,” she touchingly reflects on a relationship that has stood the test of time, aided by Wendy Moen’s splendid backing vocal. Perhaps her finest moment occurs on “The Last to Know,” an intimate look at a woman facing devastating emotional turmoil as she finally acknowledges that love has withered on the vine. Ball’s vocal is filled with resignation that fails to mask the depth of her heartbreak.

It all adds up to one of the strongest releases of Marcia Ball’s illustrious career – a recording that comes highly recommended!

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