★★★★★
Her new release will only further Janiva Magness' rep as a member of the contemporary blues vocalist elite. The incisive lyrics of her co-penned lead-off tracks and equally darkly-shaded covers such as Ike Turner's "You Got What You Wanted" and Buddy and Julie Miller's "Dirty Water" are spot-on matches for Magness' arresting ice-and-fire delivery. Producer/guitarist Dave Darling heads up both a most soulful male chorus and the rock-steady small group backup. Reviewed By: Duane Verh
- rootsmusicreport.com
2012-03-12
★★★★★
Not many folks in the People's Republic of South Louisiana have heard of the R&B chanteuse Janiva Magness. Despite a late entry into the field of entertainment, she was deemed the 2009 Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation. Possessor of a vampish voice and phrasing, when she's not sounding pouty, she sounds absolutely S-E-X-Y...
- www.offbeat.com
2010-11-02
★★★★★
Colin Linden gets a lot of greasy mile-wide groove from singer Janiva Magness, supported by drummer Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, T-Birds and others), Richard Bell at the Hammond and piano, and Colin on guitar, while her collaboration man Jeff Turmes distinguishes himself on bass, bari sax and banjo. The songs are variably vintage and vintage-sounding writes from the company at hand...
- www.hour.ca
2010-11-02
★★★★★
Track Listing: The Devil Is An Angel; I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down; Slipped, Tripped & Fell in Love; I'm Feelin' Good; Weeds Like Us; Walkin' in the Sun; End of Our Road; Save Me; I Want to Do Everything for You; Your Love Made a U-Turn; Homewrecker; Turn Your Heart in My Direction...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2010-07-30
★★★★★
Janiva Magness has all the right ingredients for blues dominance: a solid band, a scratchy, soulful voice, a solid set of tunes. But there is something lacking, an intangible that is no less crucial than any of these, and might be the most elusive ingredient of all. Call it heart, call it authenticity or pain or angst or whatever you like, but without it, this well-performed set comes off as merely competent rather than compelling...
- www.popmatters.com
2010-07-01
★★★★★
Janiva Magness is making here presence known. Although the Detroit bred blues belter grew up in the east, her success seemed limited to the west where she enjoys higher exposure. In addition to a W.C. Handy Award nomination in 2004, Magness has received accolades from such prestigious sources as Blues Access and Living Blues . Bury Him At The Crossroads is the singer's sixth CD and the first with NorthernBlues Music, an adventurous Canadian blues and roots label...
- www.jazzreview.com
2009-06-08
★★★★★
California-based blues heavyweight Janiva Magness follows up her successful Bury Him At The Crossroads with Do I Move You? and it's certainly going to move you. Magness surrounds herself with many of the fine players who appeared on her last album including multi-instrumentalist and composer Jeff Turmes. Produced by guitarist Colin Linden, the new album captivates from the first note...
- www.jazzreview.com
2009-06-07
★★★★★
The pliant voice of Detroit-born songstress Janiva Magness enhanced Kid Ramos' latest CD, so much so that I simply had to check out her new release My Bad Luck Soul. Glad I did, because this is a fine collection of guitar-centric jump and blues. Magness has relocated to the Left Coast and adopted the region's swinging blues style...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2009-06-05
★★★★★
Track Listing: A Woman Knows; The Whale Has Swallowed Me; Everything Gonna Be Alright; Lost and Lookin'; Wasn't That Enough; The Soul of a Man; That's No Way To Get Along; Bury Him at the Crossroads; One More Heartache; I'm Leaving You; Less and Less Of You; Ain't Lost Nothin'; Eat the Lunch You Brought. Personnel: Janiva Magness- vocals; Colin Linden- guitar; Jeff Turmes- bass, rhythm guitar, baritone saxophone, banjo; Richard Bell- piano, organ; Stephen Hodges- drums, percussion...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2009-06-05
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