Big Girl Blues
In 1996 the release of Connor's third rockin' blues album spread word of her talent as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. A committed player who paid her dues on the Chicago blues scene with the likes of Johnny Littlejohn and James Cotton, Connor plays lines that are deep and clean, usually heated to a boil, often with a slider used on the strings. As a vocalist, Connor's assured phrasing and earthy tone prove to be effective both when she asserts her spiritual side, as on "Meditations," and when she celebrates lustiness, as on "You Should Be My Lover." Connor, a Massachusetts native, wrote all 11 songs on this album, and not one is less than enjoyable. Bonus track "Smoke It Up" seems like a ganja-induced reggae goof. --Frank-John Hadley