Earthquakes, Thunder and Smiling Lightning by Zola Moon

24 Jun

Written by Richard Bourcier
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Wow! This gal has a great set of powerful pipes. Zola kicks off the set with a candid blues titled "Meatgrinder" and the lyrics are anything but pretty but they certainly make you think. The Los Angeles based blues singer pulls no punches and it seems little wonder that she is among the top ten female blues performers in the nation according to several polls.

Influenced by a wide variety of blues and rock legends, Zola Moon treats a song with the tenderness of a road grader. Just get out of the way and listen. There is a real echo of Big Mama Thornton and Janis Joplin and I'd be the last to complain about that.

All kidding aside, Zola is a truly honest talent and fills a very bright spot on the blues scene today. She performs much of her own material and is accompanied by a fine bunch of West Coast blues musicians. I loved "I Don't Think So" and "Doll House". On "Lover Man", Zola shares the vocal lead with Cynthia Manley, another fine talent. The duet of powerful voices cannot be ignored. As a storyteller, Zola reaches new heights on "Same Old Story", a touching tale of sorrow and pain accompanied by the young pianist Joe Kennedy.

The set ends appropriately with a blues titled "The Bottom." Zola blows a little harp on this one and fills the five-minute track with her gutsy vocal style. This is a hell of a refreshing blues album.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Zola Moon
CD Title: Earthquakes, Thunder and Smiling Lightning
Genre: Blues
Year Released: 2000
Record Label: Postmodern Music
Musicians: Zola Moon (vocals/harmonica); Kim Allison (guitar); Jerry Olsen (drums); Ron Battle (bass); with guests Ted Jenkins (bass); Joe Kennedy (piano); Vince Joy (guitar) and Cynthia Manley (co-lead vocal) on various tracks.
Label Website: -
Rating: Five Stars