One night, I'm at a bar . . . . Likely you've heard such stories, but this is the honest-to-God truth. A friend in Knoxville gave me a disc to sample. I'd never heard of the artist, and though I respect my friend's taste, I was totally unprepared for what landed in my CD player.
"I Can Handle That" showcases Nashville's Sharon Mosby wailing on a mixture of original and cover tunes. It's a shame she didn't have Wendel Werner compose more songs. His "I Can Handle That" is easily the most poignant song on the album. "Mama's House" is just plain fun with a boogie-woogie Bourbon Street feel. "The Day I See Jesus" makes you want to go to church for that spiritual lift.
Mosby and guest vocalist Sara Jordan, Queen of the Knoxville Blues, team up for Jordan's "33 Days, 32 Nights" — a song about good lovin' gone bad, bad, bad. The heavy-handed treatment of this tune is reminiscent of ZZ Top's "Blue Jean Blues."
I'm not a cover-lover, but if you do them, do them justice — Mosby does that and more. "Since I Fell For You," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Kansas City" and "My Funny Valentine" are but a few of the covers providing a great showcase for Mosby's soulful, mellifluous vocals.
However, the reliance on so many covers may keep this voice from reaching the top. Even so, I'm thanking my friend for her recommendation.
