Even though they do indeed make it sound easy, vocalist Toots Lorraine and her band, The Traffic, led by her guitar playing husband, Chad Dent, don’t do easy listenin’ music. Their output runs to jump blues and big band swing with jazzy overtones.
Originally based in Jacksonville, the band moved to San Francisco three years back, recording their latest at Kid Anderson’s Greaseland studio in San Jose. Anderson, who holds down the lead guitar slot in Lil’ Charlie and the Nightcats, alos contributed some juicy solos to the record.
For her latest, Lorraine tackles some hard core blues numbers, giving Willie Dixon’s “Built For Comfort” a makeover, her version drastically different than Wolf’s classic rendering. Hers is a rattly, raucous cabaret version worthy of a blues belter like Big Mama Thornton.
Thornton is in the lineup as well. Loraine takes on Big Mama’s’ “Let Your Tears Fall,” bustin’ loose on a big bloozy version bolstered by some stinging licks from hubby Dent’s guitar.
Big Joe Turner is a hard act to follow. Turner’s presence loomed so large that his imprint was forever stamped on anything he took on. But Lorraine has no problem taking him on and stamping her own image on the makeover. Turner’s “Low Down Dog”rockets along with Lorraine at the wheel, transformed from Big Joe’s swinging jump blues rendition to a howler with Loraine brassily blatting out the melody like a muffler with all the baffles blown.
Toots Lorraine’s blend of big band swing and jump is like a diva slumming in a juke joint, grinding a groove deep enough to lie down and wallow in her elegant funk.
grant britt