Tracy Nelson Life Don't Miss Nobody 2023

A mere sixty years after her first record, Tracey Nelson graces us with yet another fine piece of work. That 1964 debut, Deep Are The Roots, was a sparse acoustic record of blues chestnuts with vocals, guitar, harmonica and occasional piano. It was fairly ordinary for that sort of thing, but Tracey’s vocals impressed the few that heard it. Next up was the first Mother Earth record in 1968 after Tracey moved to San Francisco and founded the band. Since then she’s recorded some 20 records for at least half that many different labels. A journey woman for sure, and even if she’s not a household name, any and all of her work is well worth hearing.

It had been ten years since her last record, and fans had reason to wonder if she was done. Not nearly. She produced this new one, curated a great set of songs and wrote a couple herself, put together a killer band, and invited several big names and friends to guest star. At seventy-nine, she hasn’t lost any of the vocal strength and interpretive skill she’s famous for, and dare I say, this may well be her finest work. 

A blues singer mainly, she has recorded country, rock, R&B, gospel and soul throughout her career. Her taste in material to cover is impeccable. She's written a bunch of good ones herself, most notably her signature tune Down So Low, which has been covered by Linda Rondstadt, Etta James, Dee Dee Warwick, Ellen McIlwaine, Maria Muldaur, and Cyndi Lauper.

Strange Things Happen Every Day kicks things off rocking a blues/R&B groove, with a great piano break. Kevin McKendree tickles the ivories throughout the record, and he's consistently fabulous. Doc Pompus' There Is Always One More Time features Mickey Raphael's harmonica and a big choir on the gospel choruses. The title track, co-written by Nelson with Mike Dysinger has a latin rhythm and hot horns. Your Funeral and My Trial from Sonny Boy Williamson's pen is a walking blues with more great piano. Ma Rainey's Yonder Comes The Blues is an old-timey blues with wonderful, and apropos clarinet. Marcia Ball and Irma Thomas join Nelson for the rocking Allen Toussaint swamp rock of I Did My Part. The gospel influences return for  a stunning Hard Times, featuring piano, accordion and the big choir again. Wow.

Willie Nelson guests on Hank Williams' Honky Tonkin', with steel guitar and more fine harmonica. Charlie Musselwhite, who was featured on that 1964 debut, plays knock-out harmonica on It Don't Make Sense, a Willie Dixon blues that also has a hot guitar break. Eugene McDaniels' Compared To What features Terry Hanck on sax playing off the piano in a tight dual solo section. Nelson co-wrote Where Do You Go When You Can't Go Home with Marcia Ball, and the gospel choir again rocks the choruses. A nice rocking version of Chuck Berry's Brown-Eyed Handsome Man features a bevy of female guests vocalists and rocks like crazy. The record ends with another version of Hard Times, this time with just Tracey and guitar to wind things down with deep emotion, in the simple acoustic style of her 1964 debut, bringing things full circle.

There isn't a weak song. The record was nominated for a 2024 Best Traditional Blues Record Grammy. Tracey sings everything with the powerful voice that is her trademark. If you're a blues fan or a Tracey Nelson fan, or heck, just a good music fan, you gotta hear it.