Singer and songwriter
Joan Osborne is no stranger to covering vintage soul, R&B, and blues. She did so on 2002's
How Sweet It Is and 2007's
Breakfast in Bed, and in the documentary film Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
Osborne has also flexed her muscles as a producer for the
Holmes Brothers, capturing their live vibe better than anyone else. For
Bring It on Home,
Osborne -- with co-producer Jack Petruzzelli, her road band, a horn section, and the
Holmes Brothers on backing vocals -- turns in the rawest, most kinetic moment in her recording career, digging into the very wellspring of soul, blues, and R&B. The material is stellar, beginning with
Ashford & Simpson's
Ray Charles' vehicle, "I Don't Need No Doctor." She grinds deeply into its grain, with drummer
Aaron Comess' popping breaks. Jimmy Vivino's horn chart is clean but aggressive. The title track, defined by
Sonny Boy Williamson, is given a sultry reading.
Osborne's restraint is airy but defined; the listener can feel tension smoldering underneath.
Barbecue Bob Pomeroy's harmonica is a brilliant counterpart, releasing steam from what's roiling underneath her voice. The choice of the obscure "Roll Like a Big Wheel," by Olive Brown is a burning R&B shouter, with smokin' harmonica and horns;
Osborne's voice rises above the fray and locks the groove down tight.
Ike Turner's "Game of Love" -- written specifically for
Tina -- is a grimy, funky, nasty, strutting feminist anthem in
Osborne's version; its meaning (and irony) never more clear. Her raucous transformation of
John Mayall's "Broken Wing" is a revelation.
Allen Toussaint's '70s-era funky reggae "Shoorah! Shoorah!" is a delightful curveball here, and features the author on piano.
Osborne's read of
Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips" comes right from the blues; it's righteous. She burns on
Muddy Waters' "I Want to Be Loved," which, in her voice, is more demand than request. The nakedness in her vocal in
Bill Withers' "Same Love That Made Me Laugh" reveals the layers in its meaning. Her understated take on
Otis Redding's "Champagne and Wine" is gorgeous, with a distorted slide guitar bearing witness to the subtle nuances in
Osborne's employs that make plain the desire in the lyric. Ultimately, there isn't a performance here that isn't drenched with passion and a stylist's invention. This isn't a reverential recording; it's authoritative; she makes these songs her own.
Bring It on Home carries
Osborne's mature voice in way that's never been heard from her before. Her abilities as an interpretive singer prove her an extension of these traditions, not merely a torch bearer for them. ~ Thom Jurek