John’s Blues Pick December 2017 – Emily Burgess
The lead guitarist for the Women’s Blues Revue Band and formerly filling that role for the now-defunct 24th Street Wailers, Emily Burgess has been working recently with Peterborough’s Weber Brothers. They are here with her for her first solo disc. Sam Weber plays guitar; Ryan Weber, bass; Ryan “Rico” Browne, keys and Marcus Browne, drums. Her singing voice seems more suited to pop material and there is much of that here but she has a knack for writing attractive tunes that feature her biting lead guitar fills and solos, a combination not often heard. The opening “Til I Get To Call You My Own” is a case in point, a powerful rocker that could be a radio single. The Webers supply very effective harmony vocals. I like another rocker, “All I Want To Do Is Love You” with its raunchy guitars. “Ain’t That A Woman” & “Only One In Your Dreams” are her strongest vocal efforts, “Ain’t That A Woman” starting slowly but builds to a nice climax with its chiming guitars & background vocals. The grinding “Only One In Your Dreams” is the closest she gets to a straight blues, with some nice harp from Rico. The title song is a lovely acoustic ballad as is the closer, “What Has Been All Within”. Not an album aimed primarily at a blues audience then, but with some very good tunes and great guitar work. This disc is gorgeously produced (by the Webers & Burgess) reflecting her talents very well and may well have found a market niche. It’s not often that lead guitarists successfully step forward for singing careers and I wish her the best.