Kate Hart, the founder of the group "Seattle Women", returned to her hometown of Detroit in 2002 and formed "Detroit Women", a revue consisting of seven Detroit ladies who sing the blues. They also include a four piece backup band.

"Detroit Women" consists of Lady T, Valerie Barrymore, Stacia Petrie, Karen Vesprini, Rhonda Bantsimba, Cheryl Lescom, and Kate Hart. The band includes Susie Woodman, keys; Dennis Burr, guitars; Rick Zeldes, bass; and Stephen Kohn, drums.

The album opens with Valerie and Kate singing Etta James' "Down in The Basement". Rhonda Bantsimba follows with her self-penned "No Time For Singing The Blues". One is impressed with the individual song production as the girls also provide the backup chorus. The songs therefore have a somewhat more theatrical quality than usually found in most blues.

The band rocks out on "Coffee's on The Table" sung by Karen Vesprini, "the coffee's on the table but your sugar's walking out the door, you'll find I ain't running a Maxwell house". Karen's performance is one of my favorites on the album. Another highlight is Lady T singing "Side to Side". "If you want me to enjoy the ride, better hit it from side to side". She's got the "Sassitude".

Valarie Barrymore gets soulful on her own authored "Desire". Stacia Petrie takes the lead on one she wrote, "Long Cold Lonely Night". Kate Hart sings David Bowie's "Panic in Detroit". Cheryl Lescom sings Kate's countryish "A Good Place to Start Again". Lady T sings "Man Sized Job", and Kate Hart sings her self-penned "Faint of Heart". Rhonda Bantsimba nails it when she sings "Dying Day". All the ladies sing Robbie Robertson's "The Weight". The cd closes with "What You're Looking For", a beautiful country blues written and sung by Stacia Petrie.

This album is something very different. The "Detroit Women" are a group and a revue, to be fully appreciated they probably need to be seen "live".

Richard Ludmerer
Director, The New York Blues & Jazz Society
ricdale2@yahoo.com