Bonnie Raitt › Bonnie Raitt

Personnel: Bonnie Raitt (vocals, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, piano); Willie Murphy (guitar, piano); Russell Hagen (guitar); Peter Bell (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Maurice Jacox (flute, baritone saxophone); Junior Wells (harmonica); Eugene Hoffman (tenor saxophone, cowbells); A.C. Reed (tenor saxophone); Voyle Harris (trumpet); Douglas Spurgeon (trombone); Freebo (tuba, bass instrument); John Beach (piano); Steve Bradley (drums); Paul "Earthquake" Pena, Reeve Little (background vocals).

Liner Note Author: Bonnie Raitt.

Bonnie Raitt's 1971 debut is a beautifully mellow affair that shows off her seemingly effortless ease with the blues. Only 21-years-old at the time of the album's release, Raitt had already served her apprenticeship in the club circuit around Boston, opening for blues greats like Buddy Guy, Fred McDowell, and Junior Wells (who appears on this album). The strength and authenticity conferred from such illustrious company is evident here in Raitt's impressive slide-guitar work and nuanced, in-the-cut vocals.

Raitt's blues chops can be heard in her impressive take on Robert Johnson's "Walking Blues" and her passionate renditions of two Sippie Wallace tunes, "Women Be Wise" and "Mighty Tight Woman." Yet BONNIE RAITT is more than just a straight blues album. There are shades here of folk and R&B, especially on her cover of Stephen Stills's "Bluebird" and her reworking of the Marvelettes' "Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead," respectively. The breezy, good-time feel that would dominate Raitt's later albums (and would soon come to typify West Coast '70s rock) is evident here, yet BONNIE RAITT has more edge and roots than her subsequent releases, and remains one of the gems in her fine catalogue.

Genre:

• Country & Bluegrass

Music Categories:

• Rock & Pop: Singer / Songwriter