Vaneese Thomas - The Long Journey Home (2016)

The brand new 2016 release from 3 time BMA award nominee Vaneese Thomas has radio buzzing and fans cheering! - Man oh man what an album, Vaneese Thomas has lifted her already lofty levels even higher if that was even possible…. Exquisitely crafted songs about love, pain, life and social justice permeate throughout the album with a band to die for.

The title of Vaneese Thomas's new record, The Long Journey Home, is very appropriate, as she takes us back to her roots on this splendid album. She may have even surpassed her superb last record, Blues For My Father, as she makes her way into our heart and mind with her voice and original songs. She has this music running deep in her veins, as part of the royal family of Memphis soul and blues. She takes what she learned from the past and weaves it into a musical tapestry that will hold the listener's attention from the first note till the last. A beautifully recorded collection of tunes with the only cover being a fine rendition of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain, which, in Vaneese's capable hands, becomes a deep, soul searching epic. But that is only one of the truly remarkable songs on this record. The band shines throughout and we even get Vaneese on piano on the gospel inspired Mean World. She should play piano more often if this is an example of her keyboard skills. It's going to be difficult to take this one out of the CD player. Kudos to Ms. Thomas for creating another terrific record, and one that may likely end up in many of the top ten lists for 2016.

This album has set 2016 on its head and once heard everybody will be reassessing their top album for 2016. A mere thank-you just doesn't seem enough Vaneese but it's sincere and heartfelt. You certainly made this old curmudgeon feel a lot better for listening to this album.

TRACKLIST

01. Sweet Talk Me
02. Lonely No More
03. Sat'day Night On The River
04. Mystified
05. Country Funk
06. The More Things Change
07. Prince Of Fools
08. I Got A Man In Tn
09. Rockin' Away The Blues
10. Revelation
11. Mean World
12. The Chain