It’s been nearly 50 years since the Soul Queen of New Orleans’ first recording session, and during that time Irma Thomas has earned the nickname many times over. Her voice, even at 67, is a rare blend of smooth simplicity and heart-cracking emotion. The concept behind “Simply Grand” was to pair Thomas with a different star pianist on each track, and the results are mostly stunning. The virtuosic accompaniments occasionally draw too much attention from the singer, but for the most part they strike a perfect dramatic balance. Dr. John’s strong bass notes swell under Thomas’ sultry blues vocals on “Be You,” her low alto rolls expertly with David Egan’s complicated rhythm on gospel tune “Underground Stream,” and Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” closes the set with a bittersweet touch.—Evie Nagy
Latest Comments