Music Review: Missy Andersen - Missy Andersen

Blues Bytes By Graham Clarke August 2009

Missy Andersen grew up in Queens, NY listening to her parents’ extensive music collection, which included selections by soul and R&B singers like Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Teddy Pendergrass, James Brown, and the Staples Singers. In time, she moved to Dinah Washing- ton, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughn, then to O. V. Wright, James Carr, Little Milton, Ray Charles, Irma Thomas, and Ann Peebles. Andersen broke into the music business as a rapper (Denyce “Flip” Isaac), but eventually went back to singing and worked several years as one of the Juke Joint Jezebelles, a gospel, soul, and blues quartet that also did background vocals for San Diego blues man Earl Thomas. Recently, she decided to step out on her own and her self-titled debut recording, on Main Squeeze Records, is a spellbinding retro mix of blues and soul. The disc features eight songs, two originals and six very satisfying cover tunes, including a dynamic reading of the O. V. Wright standard, “Ace of Spades,” an atmospheric take on Ann Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand The Rain,” and a reading of Don Nix’s “Same Old Blues” that has Memphis soul written all over it. She also handles the straight blues of Junior Wells’ “Little By Little” with ease. The two originals are “New Feet,” a peppy R&B track, and the funky “Stand Up and Dance,” which also features Nathan James on Dobro. Also lending Ms. Andersen a hand are her husband, guitarist Heine Andersen, drummer Asmus Jensen, organist Jeppe Juul, and bassist Søren Bøjgaard. The Andersens also produced the disc, capturing the vintage Memphis blues/soul sound to perfection. Fans of deep southern soul, particularly the Memphis variety, will want to get their hands on Missy Andersen.