Not to be overly literal, but there’s something missing from this album’s title. Yes, the three cited styles are, as advertised, present and accounted for, with a swinging version of Chuck Berry’s roots-rocking “No Particular Place To Go” hitting at least two of ‘em in one song.
But the word most associated with Bonnie Bramlett across her 40-plus years in the music business — whether you’re recalling her early days as an Ikette, or Delaney & Bonnie’s time on Stax, or even her superb vocal contribution to the 2004 album Testifying, which featured such kindred spirits as Dan Penn and Tony Joe White — is soul. It’s also the best descriptor for the songs that represent this album’s most satisfying moments, and for the rich vein Bramlett is able to tap into when she needs to take over a song.
It’s what enables her to gospel-rock the oft-covered “Love The One You’re With” to a spot that transcends what always seemed to the tune’s origins: Stephen Stills’ justification for groupie banging. (Having two other former Ikettes, Robbie Montgomery and Jessie Lucas, on hand doesn’t hurt the cause either.) She also does well by “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “A Change Is Gonna Come”, rocking out convincingly on the former and handling the latter’s dignified pace with a veteran’s aplomb.
Not everything is as successful. “I Can Laugh About It Now” (one of three Bramlett originals) shares some good stories but suffers from an unimaginative modern-blues arrangement and some forced laughter. And her take on “Harlem Nocturne” rings a bit anticlimactic as an album-capper. But Bramlett’s version of “That Lucky Old Sun”, savvy and poignant, goes a long way toward making up for any missteps. It’s a roll around heaven, and a soulful one at that.
