THE KELLY RICHEY BAND/LIVE AT TOMMY’S ON MAIN (Sweet Lucy Records)

This 1996 release successfully captures an excellent blues band in their natural environment, playing for a crowd in a small club. Bandleader and namesake Kelly Richey has that raspy voice which has become the standard for female blues singers since Janis Joplin took it to a new level some thirty years ago. A cover of Joplin’s "Piece Of My Heart" is included in this set and while Kelly’s voice is good it’s not quite in the same league as Joplin’s. Kelly’s main talent is her guitar playing and she shines throughout the disc, handling all the guitar duties. The band is rounded out by Terry Williamson on bass and David Lloyd Williams Jr. On drums.

There are thirteen tracks included here but only one is an original so it’s hard to tell where the band wants to go next. They’re certainly more then capable of turning in a great night of cover tunes and sound like they put on a good show. Classic songs like Neil Young’s "Down By The River", Robert Johnson’s "Ramblin On My Mind", and Hendrix’s "Hey Joe" and "Purple Haze" are all handled well. The band members play off each other well and seem to be enjoying themselves. I would have preferred some more originals here but the band has gotten my attention. I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

The Kelly Richey Band can be contacted at PO Box 12826, Lexington, KY 40583-2826. A link to the band's homepage is to the left of this review.