Blues Bytes
Review by Alan Shutro
July 2000

With this her third release, People Love The Blues (Mo' Muscle), Sista Monica has reached the pinnacle of her career. Her voice is strong and confident, her band is first class, and this her newest release, is of the highest professional level. This explains why she is one of the hottest contemporary female blues singers on the festival and club scene. On separate occasions she has been called to fill in at major festivals for Koko Taylor and Etta James when they were unable to perform. After listening to this new CD, you just know she was a worthy replacement. Sista Monica covers the Jackie Wilson evergreen "Baby Workout," and she just sizzles, making you want to do your own workout on the dance floor. Most performers wouldn't even attempt to cover a song that was given such a definitive version by it's originator, but hers can stand proudly alongside Wilson's version. Another favorite track is "Honey It's Your Fault," with its spoken storyline bringing to mind some of those classic Denise LaSalle songs of several years ago. The title track, "People Love The Blues," is the one that will get the most airplay, but there are many other tracks that are just as strong and memorable. The addition of such excellent guests as Jimmy Thackery and Larry McCray just add to the overall quality of this already strong release. Her duet with McCray on "Put Your Shoe On The Other Foot" is representative of the professionalism of this release. Her a capella version of "Walk Around Heaven All Day" just reinforces that position. If you cannot find this at your local shop or internet vendor, try www.momusclerecords.com. And don't forget to check out her own wonderful site at www.sistamonica.com. Lots of great info and pictures. - Alan Shutro July 2000

October, 2000 - You might have noticed her name in a list of W.C. Handy Award nominees. Maybe you've heard her perform in a club or at a major festival. It's even possible that you haven't heard of her. Well, her super-bad new disc, People Love The Blues, is pure impact, and if it takes hype to get the message out, this is a good time to start it. Get hip to Sista Monica, now. She's that good.
Sista Monica Parker's huge voice and incredible chops give her one of the best instruments around. Her sweet but powerful singing bears traces of admired singers like Etta James and Katie Webster. Technique? Monica can blow the element out of her microphone with the best of them. ("Somebody Gonna Give up Something Tonight"), work a late-night ballad with gospel intensity ("A Chance to Breathe") or quiet sincerity ("It's a Shame, It's a Mystery"), or convincingly deliver an anthemic standard-to-be ("People Love the Blues"). And she's a performer who can hold your attention through an entire humorous narrative ("Honey It's Your Fault"). Her phrasing and delivery are unerring, and she has attitude to burn.
Three covers - JackieWilson's "Baby Workout", Albert Collins' "Put Your Shoe on the Other Foot", and James Cleveland's "Walk Around Heaven All Day" - aside, Sista Monica wrote and produced everything on this album, alone or in conjunction with keyboard player Danny B. All the material is top-notch, mostly in a contemporary style not too far from the great sound of Collins' Alligator and Pointblank records. Her band, including Ron E. Beck on drums, a horn section and several guitar and bass men, smolders on slow blues and boils over on the funk. The record spotlights several appearances each from some of the best guitarists in the business: the impeccable Dan Caron (of the late Charles Brown's band), versatile Jimmy Thackery and mighty Larry McCray, who defines both raw power and beautiful understatement in his contributions.
Enough said. If you dig contemporary blues, it's hard to imagine that you won't like Sista Monica. She's star material all the way. This is a near-perfect record, and, like the title says, People Love the Blues.

It's not fer nothin' that they call Sista Monica"The Blues Lioness." An explosive singer on the California blues scene, she smokes all the competition (with the possible exception of Koko Taylor) on People Love the Blues (Mo Muscle MMRE-688:53:30). It's hard to imagine topping Sista's intensity on the jumpin' shuffle " Baby Workout!" or equaling the depths of her tough emotional testifying on the spine-tingling slow blues "A Chance to Breathe." She demonstrates mother wit and plenty of attitude on "You're Only Good for One Thang Baby" when she sings "You shoulda been a screenwriter/But the word out on the street is/You a lover, not a fighter/You see, I don't want you to give me anything/I don't want your money/Just give me what I need baby, then you can call me honey/'Cause you're only good for one thang baby/You got the answer so do it right."
"The Walking Wounded addresses homelessness and domestic violence in a frank and heart-wrenching manner while she uplifts the soul with a glorious a cappella rendition of Rev. James Cleveland's "Walk Around Heaven All Day." Elsewhere, the dynamic Ms. Monica Parker states her soulful case in bold terms on the raucous shuffle "Someone's Gonna Give Up Something Tonight," the gospel-country flavored "It's a shame, It's a Mystery" and the super funky "Honey It's Your Fault," which includes a humorously earthy and all-knowing rap on precisely what goes down in the game of flirting and infidelity. Some great guitar work done by Larry McCray, Dan Caron, Sam Varela Jr. and Jimmy Thackery fills out this excellent CD, which sould be in strong contention for a blues Grammy next year. Sista's got my vote.

Bill Milkowski

Hello Monica,
This is Randy Kershner from WXAC radio and the"Howlin' Dog Blues Show" thanking you for "Live in Europe"... outstanding! This new CD captures the power and feeling that you deliver with every song. There are 3 women singers that give me goosebumps when they sing; Aretha Franklin, Phoebe Snow, and Yourself. That's pretty good company. I promise you plenty of air play and will definitely be charting with "living blues." thanks again and continued success


RANDY KERSHNER
WXAC 91.3 FM
EMAIL HOWLINDOGBLUES@EARTHLINK.NET