What happens when a Delta-bred blues pianist finds herself in a London studio? If you’re Eden Brent, you make the record of a lifetime. Her newest album, Getaway Blues, was laid down in London, mixed up in Memphis, and made in Mississippi — her first collection of new studio material since 2014’s Jigsaw Heart.
Tracked over two short days at the funky Fish Factory Studio, the nine-song set pairs Eden with top British session pros, including in-demand guitarist Rob Updegraff (Jamie Cullum, Zigaboo Modeliste). Her husband, British jazz trombonist and arranger Bob Dowell, produced the album and co-wrote most of it; Grammy-winning engineer Matt Ross-Spang gave it a sharp, intimate Memphis mix to match the down-to-earth sessions. “I like music that can be made even if the power goes out!” Eden says — a quip that could double as the album’s manifesto.
Highlights include the hook-heavy boogie-woogie of the opening title track, the gorgeous country-soul ballad “You on My Mind,” the double-entendre blast of “Gas Pumping Man,” and the Mose Allison-worthy “Watch the World Go By.” Decades into a career shaped by her late mentor Abie “Boogaloo” Ames — the Greenville, Mississippi piano master Eden shared stages with for nearly twenty years — she’s setting her own standard now.
“The first half of my life I was trying to figure out who I was going to be when I grew up,” Eden says. “With this album, I just wanted to be myself. I know who I am, and I’m happy with the woman I turned out to be.”
Here are a few of the raves rolling in so far:
“Refined blues, heartfelt and passionate… has true soul and in spots is outright sensual. Eden Brent is on fire.” —Living Blues
“When she starts to sing, she just totally owns us… intoxicating and sultry and wonderful.” —Michael Doherty’s Music Log
“A brilliant album packed with boogie-woogie piano blues that is all but impossible to walk away from…” —American Songwriter
“A direct, unadorned treasure… mixes songs laced with familiar double-entendre messages and intimate ballads that will leave you yearning for more.” —Blues Blast
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