Suze Lanier-Bramlett
"Swamp Cabaret"
Magnolia Gold Records
By Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro © January 2012

Although it's barely three weeks into the new year, and this just being my second review thus far, it's a little early to be making any predictions. However, with about 50 weeks - and possibly that many CDS to go as well, I'm going out on a limb and saying that "Swamp Cabaret" will easily be the most interesting and diversified CD I'll hear by one of the most interesting and versatile performers I'll hear from. And surprisingly, it's not all blues. Suze Lanier-Bramlett's "Swamp Cabaret" is exactly that - swamp and cabaret music with some of everything in between thrown in.

With most of the original songs telling a true story, "Swamp Cabaret" is virtually a musical jaunt through Suze Lanier-Bramlett's sometimes sad and other times glamorous life. Singing lead vocals, Suze is joined by David Scott Cohen and J. T. Thomas on keyboards, Hank Barrio and Dylan Thomas on guitars, Chad Watson and Randy Sharp on bass, Denise Fraser and Randy Sharp on drums, Chris Fast on harmonica, Alfredo Ballesteros on saxophone, Katie Weed and Lisa Haley on strings, and Lynn Fanelli, David Morgan, Alicia Morgan, Carolyn Baker, Hand Barrio and Randy Sharp on backup vocals.

The disc opens with the title track, "Swamp Cabaret". Musically, the first part of the song had me on a slow moving canoe navigating the dark, foggy passages through the swamps of the Bayou, while escaping from voodoo worshipers. Then by tracks end, with hardly any indication of the radical change, it sounded like the introduction number to a Broadway musical being sung by it's flamboyant star. Nice work.

"If Roy Rogers Was My Daddy" is Suze's way of fanaticizing about a better childhood. C'mon, have you ever seen Roy Rogers drunk, mean, and misbehave in any way? Her point, exactly. This smokin' country rocker features foot stompin' rhythm, great guitar and piano leads, outstanding vocals - lead and backup - and a little bit of fine yodeling.

August 15, 1969. That's the day Suze, and a bunch of other hippies, got themselves some weed and a tent and headed off to see Janis, Jimi and The Who, The Grateful Dead and Joe Cocker too. That's right, they were "On The Way To Woodstock".....oh man, oh man, oh man. And what a trip it was. To hear all about it you'll just have to listen for yourself. The guitar work and vocal harmonizing on this one are both amazing. Without exaggeration, every time I spin this disc I listen - and sing along - to this track at least a dozen times. Excellent stuff.

"B Movie Star" is a theatrically performed song about Suze's theatrical career. She's a real ham when it comes to poking fun at herself for being a ham. However, acting on Broadway, and having parts in such popular TV shows as "Happy Days", "Barnaby Jones", "Three's Company", "Alice", "Phyllis", "Welcome Back Kotter" and more, and a starring role in the classic horror movie "The Hills Have Eyes" are accomplishments many actresses would love to have on a resume. Musically, the song is right out of a Broadway musical. It's sung as a Soliloquy with beautiful piano and string accompaniments.

I'm pretty sure there's a male version of this logic but I won't go there. This one's about falling in "Love With Your Head" and not your heart. This is another fast paced number with rollicking piano and something common to most tracks - great lead and harmony vocals.

"Soup Kitchen" may just be the disc's most bluesiest track. It's soothing, mid-tempo give Chris an opportunity to jump in with some very sharp harp work.

Suze is at her emotional best on "Superstar". It's a song co-written by her late husband Delaney Bramlett, his then wife Bonnie Bramlett, and Leon Russell. This is a wonderfully done version of a classic and very beautiful love song. Great job, Suze.

With a voice that nails it on ballads, I thoroughly enjoyed "If I Should Die Tonight" and "Friends Forever". Both of these Gospel style tracks are lyrically inspirational and vocally hymnal. The sax, the organ and the choir sounding back up singers all take it up a notch.

Other tracks on this very well done and well produced project include: "You Don't Know My Name", "My Baby Ain't My Baby", "I Refuse To Get Over You", "Something To Hold On To", "I'm Gonna Shoot You", and "Leave Your Hat On".

Regardless of your musical taste, and I do mean regardless, you need to hear this CD. If there were ever a disc I'd recommend and consider offering a personal money back guarantee, it would be "Swamp Cabaret". I absolutely love this CD and know you will too. Now get over to www.suzelanierbramlett.com or www.magnoliagoldrecords.com and just before you buy the disc, tell Suze she knocked the Blewzzman out.