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Shemekia Copeland has moved her recorded product to the TelArc label, has a new producer in Oliver Wood (who doubles on guitar), and pursues a style that seems more refined and less raucous or bawdy than on her previous recordings. The rough edges are shaved, maturity is settling in, and Copeland seems intent on doing things in a more traditional fashion rather than the stomping, tear-the-house-down approach she built her reputation on. She's using members of Col. Bruce Hampton's band in bassist Ted Pecchio and drummer Tyler Greenwell, occasionally bassist Chris Wood and keyboardist John Medeski from Medeski, Martin & Wood, guitarist Marc Ribot, and on loan from the Derek Trucks Band, keyboardist Kofi Burbridge for three tracks. These musicians liven up the proceedings considerably, and the production values of this effort are leaner and cleaner than her other discs. Copeland herself sounds incredibly focused and basic, far from slick but not dirty or messy on any level, and her themes reflect a current-life viewpoint that is part optimist and part cynic, with a big parcel of pragmatic realist. Her poignant castigation of God-driven politicians and jive preachers on "Sounds Like the Devil" is spot-on in a slow-plod beat, "Broken World" is an end-all cautionary tale, and "Big Brand New Religion" brings the sentiment full circle as an antithesis in a New Orleans shuffle. Her songs of hope stem from a young mother's bad-luck struggle in a hard rock two-step during "Rise Up" and the funk-rock "Born a Penny" (featuring Burbridge), which anyone struggling with being born into poverty can relate to. "Never Going Back to Memphis" and Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow" feature Chris Wood, Medeski, and Ribot, the former a voodoo-type sly and slinky number, the latter a decent light funk revision of the tune. At her most innocent though atypical, Copeland overdubs her singing on "The Truth Is the Light," only slightly preachy and balanced by some nasty slide guitar work. Another cover, this time of Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation," seems biographical, as she's looking for her baby, and it's a song that suits her toned-town approach. There are harder-edged songs like the bompity-bop New Orleans-flavored "Limousine" and her well-sung, spirited take on dad Johnny Copeland's "Circumstances," which is more acoustic and down-home, but essentially it's all good. There's little to fault in terms of the diversity she seeks, and there's no concession to commercialized blues here. All in all, Copeland has delivered a solid set of music, easily recommended, that should please her fans and translate to some dynamic performances on tour. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

Percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo's debut as a leader features the arrangements of trumpeter Tommy Villarini, who also contributed four of the nine selections. Hidalgo's conga, bongo, and timbales are showcased in a variety of settings, with his solos usually being brief and supportive of the other players. "Villa Hidalgo" has a guest spot by Dizzy Gillespie, altoist Paquito D'Rivera uplifts "Bahia San Juan," tenor saxophonist David Sanchez has several spots, "Yuliria" is a piano-conga duet with Eric Figueroa, and "Ianmanuel" features five percussionists plus Figueroa's keyboards. Some of the selections are funky and some are more traditional Latin music, with the styles and instrumentation changing from cut to cut. Stimulating music. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

It's been so long since B.B. King stepped outside of his comfort zone that One Kind Favor comes as a bit of a shock. Unlike so many albums he's cut in the wake of the crossover success of The Thrill Is Gone way back in 1970, the sound is stripped-back, not splashy, there is not a reliance on guest stars, and the repertoire is pure blues -- and these are all songs that he's never recorded before, including three tunes by his longtime idol Lonnie Johnson. Credit for the concept must be given to producer T Bone Burnett, who applies a similar neo-rootsy aesthetic to One Kind Favor that he did to his production of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand -- an approach that's grounded in tradition but has a smoky, smeary veneer that's thoroughly modern. One Kind Favor has a noir-ish flair but it doesn't dwell on darkness, even if it takes its title from a line in Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," a song that would seem to carry some import for the 82-year-old King. He may be approaching his twilight years but brooding has never been B.B.'s style -- he's too generous, too open-hearted in both love and loss, so he's naturally disinclined to turn this album into a meditation on morality. Instead, One Kind Favor is a celebration of life with all of its ups and downs, filled with heartbreak but also great joy, which is precisely what B.B. King's best music always has been. And this is indeed one of King's best latter-day albums, thanks to its sterling selection of 12 songs and the supple support of drummer Jim Keltner, pianist Dr. John, and bassist Nathan East, who give B.B. plenty of room for both his guitar and voice. Even if King winds up returning to his familiar slick, star-studded sound somewhere down the line, having an album as earthily elegant as One Kind Favor in his canon provides a fitting coda for one of the great musical careers of the 20th century. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide