Transmissions: Beverly Glenn Copeland

Uncivil War finds Shemekia blazing an exhilarating roots music trail, with many of the songs reflecting the spirit of our turbulent times. Her passion-packed singing breathes fire into solemn, gospel-drenched anthems, lowdown blues, crunching rockers and frisky New Orleans R&B. On captivating original songs and invigorating new takes on tracks by the Rolling Stones, Junior Parker and her father, famed bluesman Johnny Clyde Copeland, she commands listeners’ attention while exploring life’s daily struggles and triumphs, both political and personal.

Stewart Copeland has spent more than three decades at the forefront of contemporary music as rock star and acclaimed film composer, as well as in the disparate worlds of opera, ballet, and world and chamber music. Recruiting Sting and Andy Summers in 1977, Copeland is renowned as the founder of The Police, a band that became a defining force in rock music from the ​‘80s through to the present day. His career includes the sale of more than 60 million records worldwide, and numerous awards, including five Grammy awards. Copeland moved beyond the rock arena in the mid-1980s when he returned to his classical roots with creative pursuits in concert and film music.

Spanish/Dutch horn player José Sogorb, 3rd Horn at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, releases Mélodies Volées, a multifaceted hommage to melody. ‘Voler’ means ‘stolen’ in French. Stealing a melody or (better) using its ‘DNA’, is a phenomenon which is from all times. To whom does a melody actually belong? On this sublimely versatile album José investigates this question. He does this in close relation with the splendid pianist Éadaoin Copeland on the majority of the program and featuring José’s RCO colleagues Miriam Pastor Burgos, Mark Braafhart and Rob Dirksen. On Mélodies Volées, you’ll be treated with impeccable horn playing with repertoire ranging from J.S. Bach, Schubert, Brahms, De Falla, Pärt, semi-improvised music, finalised by a freshly made arrangement of a Björk song that flows back again to Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (who was a contemporary of Bach).

Grammy-nominated blues, soul and Americana singer is beloved and honored worldwide for her joyful, defiant music and thrillingly soulful performances. Blame It On Eve is another exhilarating Shemekia Copeland showcase, as her rousing vocals bring the heat to an infectious array of muscular rockers, stomping blues, swampy soul, and heartbreaking ballads. Intense, topical new originals make up most of the tracks and soul-soaked versions of songs by Stevie Wonder and her father, Johnny Copeland, fit right into the mix.

Shemekia Copeland continues to prove herself as one of the strongest young talents in the blues on this disc. While the material itself isn't as strong as that on her stellar first album, she still invests her all in tunes like the blasting "Not Tonight" and the romantic "Love Scene."

Shemekia Copeland continues to prove herself as one of the strongest young talents in the blues on this disc. While the material itself isn't as strong as that on her stellar first album, she still invests her all in tunes like the blasting "Not Tonight" and the romantic "Love Scene."

The daughter of the late bluesman Johnny Copeland steps up to the plate with this, her debut album for the Alligator imprint. Although only 19 at the time of this recording, Copeland comes to this album with a mature style and vast amounts of assuredness. While comparisons to Koko Taylor and Etta James will be plentiful, Shemekia has enough tricks up her sleeve to make this a disc well worth checking out. Eight of the 14 tunes aboard are co-written by producer John Hahn and strong musical support is summoned up from guitarist Jimmy Vivino, with guest turns from Joe Louis Walker and "Monster" Mike Welch, while the Uptown Horns show up on three tunes, including the title track. Highlights are numerous on this disc, but special attention should be paid to Copeland's "Ghetto Child," a nice cover of Don Covay's "Have Mercy"; Walker's "Your Mama's Talking"; and the strutting "I Always Get My Man." This is one very impressive debut.

Grammy-nominated blues, soul and Americana singer is beloved and honored worldwide for her joyful, defiant music and thrillingly soulful performances. Blame It On Eve is another exhilarating Shemekia Copeland showcase, as her rousing vocals bring the heat to an infectious array of muscular rockers, stomping blues, swampy soul, and heartbreaking ballads. Intense, topical new originals make up most of the tracks and soul-soaked versions of songs by Stevie Wonder and her father, Johnny Copeland, fit right into the mix.