SOUNDGUARDIAN.COM

BLUES CORNER January 18, 2024

Canadian singer-songwriter Garnette Cromwell has an impressive soul/blues/R&B release firmly in her hands. The album contains eight original songs and two well-chosen covers. "Time To Shine" was recorded live with a band consisting of: Toshi Otani (guitar), Mark Howe (bass), Robin Houston (drums), Sabian Crosswell (keyboards) and Juan Arce (tenor saxophone). Together, they are DaGROOVMASTERS. "Time To Shine" offers us an exclusively female brass section, consisting of: Rebecca Hennessy, Colleen Allen, Carrie Chesnutt and Elena Kapeleris. Backing vocalists are Quisha Wint and Selena Evanageline, while producer Ken Whiteley actively participates in the recording and plays guitar, organ and backing vocals. Throughout the album, Ken insisted that no matter what, Garnetta's impressive vocals should be in the foreground, which he used abundantly and literally radiates throughout the album.

These two covers of Ruthie Foster's "Singing The Blues" and James Brown's "Think (About It)" took on a new meaning and took on that sophisticated female perspective.The album is almost entirely very playful and "joyful" only in the last song of the album, "Hey You Girl", where Garnetta sings about a sister, showing how deep a ballad can be regardless of what is being sung about. On the great foundations established by great singing divas like Aretha Franklin, there is always room for development to progress and go one step further! Garnetta uses it in her own way and doesn't care about anyone or anything, but simply moves on!Recommendation''Time To Shine'' by the excellent Garnette Cromwell is an example of a really enjoyable album, the content of which offers really fun and danceable moments and you just have to take advantage of it. There's no doubt, it's clear to all of us that Garnetta Cromwell is truly a magnificent!

- Mladen Loncar