"Born in Illinois, Laurie Morvan took up the guitar
as an inquisitive teen, immersing herself in hours of
practice after listening to records, trying not only
to re-create the sounds she heard, but to also learn
why something worked in a particular situation. Influenced,
blues-wise, by the works of Bonnie Raitt, Luther Allison,
and SRV, her diligent practice has paid great dividends,
as she has taken what she's learned over the years and
forged a style all her own. That brings us to her latest
release on Screaming Lizard Records, "Cures What
Ails Ya," twelve of Laurie's originals, bathed
in the light of smokin' blues rock that she grew up
emulating as an adolescent.
Perhaps it is her background as a mathematics teacher
( a way to "pay the bills" while woodshedding
on the guitar!) that fuels her analytical approach to
blues guitar. Her lines are distinct and fluid, with
no wasted notes. This CD is full of good-rockin' blues,
too. The leadoff "Kickin' Down Doors" blasts
off with all the swagger of a roadhouse on a Saturday
night, and features a killer solo at the bridge. "A
Long Time Ago" is a cool tale about the maturity
process, and "Keep On Believin" has a positive
message set to a slow-blues background.
We had two favorites, too. A shout-out to Wynonna
accompanies the "chicken-pickin'" lead lines
of "Where Are The Girls With Guitars." And,
self-reflection is at the fore of the poignant ballad
of a woman with no offspring who faces the reality that
she is, indeed, the end of her "Family Line."
This one features fine piano from legendary George Duke
as well.
This CD has reached the judges' Top Ten of those submitted
to the IBC for the Best Self-Produced CD award in February.
It's easy to see why--"Cures What Ails Ya,"
from a girl with a smokin' guitar and a honey-sweet
voice, is just what the doctor ordered! Until next time....Sheryl
and Don Crow."
