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Havin' The Last Word
After practically a 20-year recording career – entirely on Alligator Records – Havin' The Last Word (Alligator) is the concluding release from the critically praised acoustic blues trio, Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women. Singer / guitarist / harmonicist Gaye Adegbalola explains the rationale behind the break-up: “For many years our visions coincided, but as we have aged and grown, our individual agendas have changed.”
Other members of this titanic-talented threesome include pianist/guitarist/vocalist Ann Rabson and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Andra Faye. In 1990, after six years of playing regionally in Virginia, they released their self-titled debut album. Quickly they were catapulted from being local favorites to international blues stars.
They play and write deep music. Even if they couldn’t, they’d be remembered for their delightful voices. Faye is emotive and expressive with her vocals. With her pleasant voice, it’s like she was born to be on Broadway. Listen and you’ll picture her on stage, full of life and beaming with a confident smile. On the sad, soft, and stunning "Blue Lullaby," her warbling county & western voice sounds like Crystal Gayle.
You hear pain in the voices of Rabson and Adegbalola, but you also detect a strong sense of courage. Adegbalola delivers vocals on "Bald Headed Blues" – a rockin’ country blues song about the effects of chemotherapy and battling cancer – with the conviction of a fire-and-brimstone sermon-telling preacher. Everyone sings on "Going Down To The River." Here, Faye’s voice is soft and pretty, Rabson’s is bold and it roars, while Adegbalola mixes both styles. The song is about receiving a new birth in life. It’s very topical given their post-Saffire plans, which involve solo careers, speaking engagements, and teaching.
Their individual styles stand out on this album. Within a few bars of each song you can tell whose song it is. The topics of the 16 songs include the effects of the economy, getting older, human anatomy, and sex. The CD contains everything you expect from Saffire, e.g., raunchy songs in the tradition of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, and everything is written from a determined and witty woman’s perspective. "Kitchen Man" and "Bald Eagle" are loaded with humorous double entendre lyrics, while "Too Much Butt" is simply hysterical. Throughout, Rabson’s fingers dance over the keyboard and make the piano sound heartfelt and warm. As on "Haste Makes Waste," her barrelhouse piano rhumbas don’t need the support of the other band members.
The most provocative songs are written and/or performed by Adegbalola. She’d “rather be hated for who I am/than loved for who I’m not” on "Nothin’ In Your House." A melodramatic piano solo is present on "Locked Up" which contains a gospel-like chorus. It was written for Adegbalola’s cousin, who was imprisoned for supposedly raping a white woman. While he was incarcerated, family members died and a feud began among siblings. She first heard the phrase "locked up, but not locked out" during a prayer by a deacon at her church, and immediately knew it belonged in a song.
The CD’s most memorable melody is "I Can Do Bad All By Myself." Its sing-along chorus and chord progression sounds like a protest song. Lyrically, it's based on fact, but it’s been embellished for dramatic effect and to make it completely relevant. The title came from an inspirational aunt, who had an awful, abusive marriage. She'd reply, "I can do bad by myself" when asked why she never remarried. The song’s factual events involve a friend whose lover spent all of his money. He only realized what had transpired when his debit card was rejected during an attempted transaction.
Saffire are a little vaudeville, blues, and brazen, but most all of they are themselves. Hearing these fearless songs reveals these passionate ladies have lived life, learned from its misgivings, and are all the better for it. As heard in lyrics like “bad times make the good times better,” their songs preach to expect suffering and to grow from it. Don’t be fooled. This isn’t a pity party. In their final hour – literally, as the CD’s runtime is 60 minutes – their strength, joy, and love is positive. Whenever they decided to call it quits, you just knew these sassy gals were going to have the last word.
Tim Holek, Blues Bytes, March 2009
One of my fondest memories of Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, was a show they played here in Scottsdale at the old Rockin’ Horse before a fire took away one of the great clubs in the Valley. They were full of sass and attitude as they proceeded to delightfully entertain all of us who came out that night. I’ve seen them several times since then, but nothing quite compares to the magic of that evening. So when their new record, Havin’ the Last Word, showed up on my doorstep, I was sad to read that this is indeed, their last recording as a group as they’ve all collectively decided to pursue a new set of dreams, each to their own. I think Bruce Iglauer said it best in his letter of introduction: “Though this will be Saffire’s last album, it’s not a requiem; it’s a celebration.” So let’s start the party and celebrate all of the joy the women of Saffire have brought us all over the years!
Andra Faye’s mandolin provides the introduction to our first cut on the disc, “Going Down To The River.” A song of rejuvenation, going down to the river is a way to cleanse life’s troubles away, “something tells me…everything will be all right…sometimes its hits you hard…sometimes it lifts you right off the ground…something tells me…it will be all right!” The sweet notes of Ann’s piano lead us into our next tune, “Nothin In Your House.” In typical Saffire fashion, Ann is just going to do what Ann wants to do. “When I get liquored up or drink Jose…Lord, you never know what I might do or might say…you can say it ain’t ladylike for a girl get to get soused…but what do I care…I ain’t got nothing in your house!” Up next is “Kitchen Man,” an ode to all good things a man can accomplish in the kitchen. “His jelly roll’s so nice and hot…never fails to hit the spot…his frankfurters are all so sweet…how I like his sausage meet…I can’t do without…my kitchen man!”
“Somebody’s Gotta Give” finds Andra at odds with her man and this relationship has hit its rough spot. “Somebody’s got to turn around…if our love is going to live…are you getting where I’m coming from…somebody’s got to give!” Andra’s man is just not appreciating all she’s given him and this one might not make it. Gaye’s slide guitar leads us into “Bald Headed Blues,” a discussion of the results of treatment for cancer. “Doctor said to me, Girl, you’re going to lose your hair…I thought he meant on my head…but Lord, he meant everywhere…now my head is round and shiny…and my ears look really big…but I still love myself…no need to hide it with a wig!” In “Since You’ve Been Gone,” Ann is left to deal with the aftermath of a failed relationship. “I saw you in town today…you asked me how I’ve been…I didn’t want to let my feelings show…so I just said “I’m doing fine”…held on to this pride of mine…I’ll be damned before I’ll let you know!
“Blue Lullaby” finds Andra back at the microphone, “I sing a blue lullaby…most every night…count every star that I see…hoping there’ll be…one shining bright!” Gaye’s harmonica in the background provides a soothing, reassuring tone that everything will be all right and is just beautiful. Very well done. Next we find Ann back on a tune she wrote with EG Kight, “Traveling at the Speed of Love.” “I’m a state of shock…my heart’s electrified…feet flying off the ground…but I’m hanging on tight…but it feels so good…traveling at the speed of love!” All’s good and she’s definitely in love with this traveling man! “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” is the title of Gaye’s tale of woe. “Now you come home…all messed up…your words are counterfeit…yea, you steal and deal, you pawn and scam…everything has turned to…???...debt! I’ve lost more than my assets…I’ve lost my good name too…well, things will get better…now that I’m through with you.”
The deep, deep tones of the upright bass have Andra at the helm and telling us all about “Too Much Butt.” “I may have a lot…but I’ll tell you what…there’s no such thing as…too much butt!” Definitely a tune that reminds us all why we loves these ladies so much. “Haste Makes Waste” finds Ann lamenting the unfaithfulness of her lover. “They say good things come to those who wait…and I, guess they do…while you were waiting for me…your good thing came to you…now, I’m waiting by the telephone…like you used to do…they say good things come to those who wait…and I guess they do.” A man in jail is the object of Gaye’s consideration in “Locked Up.” “And so we pray…for grace to day…to light the path…to clear the way…we love you so…want you to know…that we will never, never let you go…you may be locked up…but not locked out…of my heart!”
“I bought my ticket…but the plane ain’t flying…can’t rent a car…for all my trying…I’ll start walking home to you.” Andra is working hard to make her relationship this work and she’s not happy that she left without clearing the air. “Walkin’ on Home to You” seems to be the only alternative she has left to get back to her man and set the record straight. “Bald Eagle” is Gaye’s latest commentary on a fan favorite of Saffire, “Silver Beaver.” “I’ve got a fine…bald eagle…wait till you see her spread her wings…and you ain’t heard nothing…until you hear my bald sing!” Fans of Saffire will know exactly what I’m talking about and we’ll leave it at that.
“I’m Growing Older,” a tune by Deanna Bogart, typifies the Saffire attitude about life and aging. “When I’m over 80, what a lady…they’ll all swoon…I’ll strut my stuff…knock down any door…I know just what I want…and I know I want more…I’m growing older…and I’m just fine getting old!” Another Ann/EG Kight tune, “The Bad Times,” is the final song on Havin’ the Last Word. “We walked through the fire…oh what a fire…we had burning…deep in our soul…kept us going…all the while knowing…these words of wisdom…we’ve been told. The bad times…make the good times better…bad times make our love grow strong…if we can’t keep holding on together…the good times will before long.”
Havin the Last Word is just that. Ann, Gaye and Andra have taken the time and care to leave us with a wonderful record that serves as a loving testament to all that Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women have stood for: hard work, belief in each other, attitude and an undying love for their fans. These crazy, wild, loveable women will be on tour for the rest of this year so go see them when you can, take the time to thank them for all the joy they’ve given you and tell them you love them. A group of women like this in Blues comes once in a lifetime and fortunately for all of us, it was our lifetime.
Kyle Deibler, Blues Bytes, March 2009
SAFFIRE - Deluxe Edition
Alligator began their Deluxe Edition best-of compilations to celebrate the essential recordings of their modern blues legends. Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women is an acoustic threesome of richly-talented, strong women who also are persistent, daring, and opinionated. They have grown from being a local draw in Virginia to one of Alligator’s most popular acts. Ann Rabson performs boogie piano and finger-picked guitar from the old school. Gaye Adegbalola plays incisive guitar and harmonica, while multi-instrumentalist Andra Faye adds bass, guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. Original bassist Earlene Lewis can be heard on six songs. For this righteous collection, the band personally selected material from their seven Alligator albums, which were recorded between 1989 and 2001. Each of the 20 previously released tracks, including ten originals (mostly written by Adegbalola), on this 75-minute disc have been re-mastered.
Saffire Deluxe Edition "Middle Aged Blues Boogie" has become the group’s anthem. The song features the basics of acoustic piano, mandolin, and guitar, yet it comes with all the sass of Bessie Smith and the authority of Sippie Wallace. "Ain’t Gonna Hush" sounds written in response to Lowell Fulsom’s "Honey Hush" Adegbalola’s novelty vocals growl during "Bitch With A Bad Attitude." Of course, the entertaining song features the group’s signature humorous lyrics.
Being quick to make fun of themselves and their age, Gaye once introduced "Silver Beaver" as something she sees in her mirror! The joking continues on "School Teacher’s Blues," which is sung by Adegbalola who is a former science educator and can use her voice like a brass instrument. These feisty ladies cleverly use their wit as comic relief since their woman’s straight-talking lyrics can run deep, as on "The Equalizer." Faye’s voice is the tamest and is real sweet on "Falling Back In Love With You," yet it may well be the strongest during "It Takes A Mighty Good Man (to be better than no man at all)."
Rabson’s vocals are the most mature and distinguished, as can be heard on "Tom Cat Blues." When their three exclusive voices come together in harmony, as on "Because Of You" and "How Can I Say I Miss You?," it is sheer enjoyment. At times, the lyrics carry a feministic viewpoint e.g., ("Hard to find a human male as charming as a pup") from "Don’t Treat Your Man Like A Dog." Listen to decide whether the ultimate message states to treat a man like a dog is too treat him too good. Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women ain’t no girly girls. You won’t find glitz and glamour, but that won’t prevent you from experiencing everything good about being a woman. Together, they leave women’s footprint in modern blues history. Their we-ain’t-gonna-take-no-shit approach meshes perfectly with their ragtime saloon music. There is no competition among these astute ladies. However, Rabson’s domineering vocals and boisterous piano are a highlight. Saffire is a leading force in an industry swarming with boisterous guitars and caustic harp predominated by male artists. If it is true that women mature faster than men, these middle-aged gals have more wisdom than a group of male mystics. Things couldn’t be closer to the truth when Saffire sings ("age ain’t nothin’ but a number / you don’t get older / you just get better").
Tim Holek, Blues Bytes, March 2006
Ain't Gonna Hush!
Here they come again. For the uninitiated, Saffire's bawdy brand of blues is full of pithy observations on sex, love, booze, and women misbehaving, full of double (and even single) entendre. At other times, they can be melancholic enough to break your heart. These are traits inherited from the classic blueswomen of the past -- the need to embody the desires of women while voicing their own pleasure and pain. And this tempting trio can do it well.
Ain't Gonna Hush! is Saffire's seventh, and possibly best, Alligator release. The 15-cut disc offers only six Saffire originals, a decrease from earlier albums. But it works: The covers and original tunes fit the group's style and allow each woman to have her moment in the spotlight.
Rabson's originals tend to deliver their messages through charm rather than outright confrontation. Her piano rings with fiery explosiveness on "You Got To Tell Me," a searing boogie voicing a timeworn sentiment: "You got to talk to me, honey/'cause I sure can't read your mind." The multitalented Rabson's guitar work has never sounded better than on the Jeff Turmes tune "Once in a While," an infectious romp featuring Andra Faye's lively mandolin. Faye's clear, vibrant voice is an instrument of pure desire on the steamy "Nobody Ever Touched Me There."
Gaye Adegbalola's songs are like exposed nerves; they cut to the quick with their truth and pain. Reminiscent of the well-known "How Long Blues," Adegbalola's "Blues for Sharon Bottoms" relates the heart-wrenching true tale of a woman forced to give up her baby. She does turn the mood around, however, with the raucous, Texas swing-style "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox." Saffire is in top form on Ain't Gonna Hush!, bringing fireworks to each song they perform. It's a great collection, worthy of many a repeat listen.
Maureen Del Grosso, Blues Revue, October 2001
SAFFIRE: LIVE & UPPITY
Saffire's Live & Uppity comes from a three-night engagement at the Barns of Wolf Trap in October 1997. These three women initially kick audiences with raunchy, lewd and sexual innuendo-laden material, and once these street-smart working women have got your ears, the other aspects of their musicianship are hard to avoid.
Ann Rabson's driving piano boogies and rollicking barrel-housin' forms the engine that pushes the music. Gaye Adegbalola supplies an energetic guitar and harmonica while Andra Faye adds the shadings of bass, mandolin, fiddle and guitar. Since each is also an accomplished vocalist, they pass solos and songs back and forth like Harlem Globetrotters pass basketballs. Nobody here sings two songs in a row; Adegbalola and Faye sing five songs, and Rabson handles the vocal lead on six.
Live and Uppity The real fun of any Saffire concert is the explosive reaction of first-timers to the double-entendre lyrical surprises, and that aspect is present here. Though these Uppity Blues Women have recorded a number of their crowd-pleasin' favorites, beware: There are still a few surprises.
Surprise No. 1: "Silver Beaver." Adegbalola decided it was time for the blues to add a new animal to the off-color blues menagerie: "There are monkeys, roosters, bumblebees, crawling kingsnakes, and fattening frogs for snakes," she said, "so let's bring the beaver in." If the out-of-control laughter sounds like this on record, imagine how it will stop shows when they play it each night. At the end, Adegbalola and the girls chorus with "Hi ho, hi ho, silver," and finish off with Adegbalola advising, "Just leave it to beaver." The laughter at Wolf Trap -- and in your home -- will be hard to control.
Surprise No. 2: the serious "1-800-799-7233." This is the National Domestic Violence Hot Line phone number. Adegbalola penned this for a friend suffering within the trap of domestic abuse. She sings one of the all-time classic lines, "Hope's a good breakfast, but for supper it's a terrible meal," implying that early on you can hope the abuser will change, but sooner or later it's time to seek help. Coupled with Faye's mournful fiddle and Rabson's equally sympathetic piano, the message sinks in.
Surprise No. 3: "Bitch With a Bad Attitude." This isn't the "clean" album version. This is the more boisterous version they perform live, complete with almost three minutes of Adegbalola rappin' her modern "bitch" definitions with the crowd.
From there, Rabson and Adegbalola deliver classic Saffire tunes such as "Dump That Chump," "Middle Aged Blues Boogie," and "Hopin' It'll Be Alright." Rabson's vocal delivery and caress of the blues side of the ivories pushes "Hold Me Close," one of two new Saffire tunes by Randy Friel, deep into the darkness at the end of love. Faye sings lead on the double-entendred "Mr. Insurance Man," Willie Nelson's "Crazy," and the Koko Taylor standard "You Can Have My Husband" with her passionate clarity of voice.
There are always some hot, down-home tunes cookin' in the Saffire kitchen, but the Uppity Blues ladies have kicked it up a notch.
Art Tipaldi, Blues Revue, July/August 1998
SAFFIRE - Cleaning House
A gorgeous recording of big, brassy blues of the post-feminist persuasion. There is hardly a let-down through these 17 (count 'em) tracks, but don't miss "Hungry Woman Blues," "I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel" or the N'Awlins-feeling "Don't Do It."
Blues Access Magazine, Fall 1996
These three women are really in control. They cover all the bases, singing, playing their respective instruments, and generally getting down together in a way that transcends the gender issue. They have found a synthesis that works well and can't seem to milk this particular combination dry. On Cleaning House, their fifth album on Alligator Records, they sound just as lively and fresh as if it were their first. Using unexpected textures like the mandolin and playing and singing with the bravado of true blues authorities, Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women serve up a delightful concoction.
Cleaning House Andra Faye McIntosh, who joined founding members Ann Rabson and Gaye Adegbalola in 1992, steps up front on this album. She sings the lead vocal on six songs and adds mandolin, fiddle, acoustic bass, and even a little guitar.
Another factor that sets Saffire apart from the plethora of blues trios out there is their original material. Strong compositions by Adegbalola ("Hungry Woman's Blues," "I Lost My Baby To Another Man," "I Want My Money Back," "Blues Is In The House," "Tomorrow Ain't Promised," and "The Equalizer") and Rabson ("Rocket Ship," "I'd Rather Be Alone," "Things Are Seldom What They Seem") dominate this CD, and are rich in soulfulness and tales of love, lust and pain.
The magic of Saffire may be that three such distinct musicians each manage to retain their own distinct musical personalities while creating an unmistakable group sound. Rabson on keyboards is a dynamo (the first pianist I've ever heard of who has broken a string on a Steinway piano) and Gaye Adegbalola does duty on guitar, harmonica and percussion. The music that results from the work of these three women is a pleasure and an inspiration.
Cleaning House has become a favorite in my CD player.
Elena Skye, Blues Revue, Oct/Nov 1996
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