It’s impossible to overestimate Irma Thomas‘ influence on contemporary music. A songstress whose future rhythm-and-blues evergreens inspired, among many others, Otis Redding and Mick Jagger, she remains a vital soul force, regularly playing live and releasing her last studio album as late as 2020. Past-pandemic, though, she didn’t seem to have visited a studio but, eventually, April 11th will see the octogenarian issue a follow-up to “Love Is The Foundation” – under the title of “Audience With The Queen”: a joint effort with GALACTIC, the mainstays of New Orleans scene.
Audience With The Queen
It’s quite unusual for this ensemble to be featuring a vocalist on every track – and every track is original here, penned personally for Irma, apart from opener, their take on Nancy Wilson’s classic “How Glad I Am” – because their previous affairs revolved mostly around instrumental numbers, with voices only coloring the funksters’ pieces. There’ll be no surprise, then, if this platter wins Grammy as Thomas’ “After The Rain” did almost two decades ago.
1. How Glad I Am
2. Where I Belong
3. Love’s Gonna Find A Way Again
4. Lady Liberty
5. Puppet On Your String
6. Peace In My Heart
7. People
8. Over You
9. Be Your Lady
