Donna Herula — “Cold Feet” — Self Release (Sept. 18)
Donna Herula is — among other things — a Chicago-born blues singer, slide guitarist, songwriter and Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee.
Those “other things” include her award-winning 2021 release, Bang at the Door, which hit No. 1 on the 2021 Acoustic Blues Album Chart and was named Best Acoustic Blues Album by the 2022 Independent Blues Awards, where she was also named Best Traditional Blues Artist. The title song won Best AAA/Alternative Song in the 2022 International Acoustic Music Awards. She leads the acoustic folk-blues Donna Herula Trio and the Donna Herula Band, a six-piece electric blues band.
Herula has taken that success, including her formidable resonator slide guitar talents and her distinctively personal songwriting, and created the eloquent music that overflows into her fourth and latest album, Cold Feet
Herula’s sparkling guitar work throughout highlights eight sharply crafted originals and two stunning covers of classic blues. No matter what the style — Delta, finger-picking, slide — she brings an effortless authenticity to her music.
In the album liner notes, Herula says: “I am particularly proud of how I stretched myself artistically and vocally. I wrote songs in genres beyond acoustic blues, utilizing electric and acoustic styles while blending soul, pop, gospel, folk and Chicago blues influences.”
Herula’s band is Tony Wittrock on guitars, Marc Edelstein on bass, Alton Smith on organ, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums. Special guests include session producer Jon Shain on guitars, Alton Smith on keys, Anne Harris on violin, John Jochem on harmonica, Steve Eisen on sax, Rick Barnes on percussion, and Candy LaFlora, Kary Ream and Rebecca Toon on backup vocals.
Herula’s acoustic virtuosity is on full display with her National Tricone slide work on the elegant instrumental opener, On My Way Home. The jaunty Cold Feet follows, a rocker sparked with electric slide and wedding-day blues: “The organ’s playing ‘Here Comes the Bride’ / I’m backed in a corner, running out of time / I got cold feet … And I’m keeping the ring.” Herula and Tony Wittrock co-wrote the country-flavored Honey Darlin’ Baby Please, with Herula’s standout vocal plea: “Honey darlin’ baby please / Pick up your phone and talk to me I know that I was wrong.”
Herula fires up her resonator and electric slide in a haunting re-creation of Skip James’ Cypress Grove Blues. A road trip with her band inspired the humor of Backseat Driver: “Backseat driver, you’re out of control / Who are you to tell me where I should go.” What You Gonna Do? features soulful sax from Eisen with Herula asking other-woman relationship questions: “I’ll wait and see what happens, you’ll have to decide / Will it be me – will it be her, that’ll be left behind.”
Wish I Could See You Again is a gorgeous acoustic guitar duet with John Shain, featuring Herula’s longing vocal: “Memories are on display / Graduation, wedding day / I’m packing all of them away / Wish I could see you again.” Things Can Change is rich with gospel overtones invoked by Herula’s commanding vocal with LaFlora’s backup, and Jochem’s flowing harp: “Only the Lord knows what will happen child / Things can change.”
Herula says her epic poetry in Float to Heaven is a “John Prine-style storytelling song that I am really proud of.” Her elegant finger-style guitar and Harris’ emotive violin create an impassioned tale of a man unable to shake his lifelong sense of blame for the death of a teenage friend: “So tomorrow I’m gonna take my boat / Down to the river and I’m gonna float / To heaven, I’m going to heaven.”
Herula shows off her deep Chicago blues influences on the rousing closer, the Elmore James/Robert Johnson classic, Dust My Broom, driven by her furious slide and Smith’s propulsive drumming.
There are no musical cold feet in Donna Herula’s sophisticated production of Cold Feet. She steps easily through a stylish blend of songs and genres that kick her eclectic influences into one artistic delight.
Here’s a live version of “What You Gonna Do?” from the album:
Tracklist:
- On My Way Home
- Cold Feet
- Honey Darlin’ Baby Please
- Cypress Grove
- Backseat Driver
- What You Gonna Do?
- Wish I Could See You Again
- Things Can Change
- Float to Heaven
- Dust My Broom