Comments on: Review: Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub @ Bowery Ballroom

By: zeruch

zeruch — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:20:39 +0000

I think that the fact she is there attests to at least something worth investigating. Frankly, her pedigree (beyond being the child of Chris Whitley, who in my book did no wrong) includes having worked with Meshell Ndegeocello, Chocolate Genius, Robert Plant, Vernon Reid and quite a few others of demonstrable skill.

She has facility with multiple instruments (master of none, but more than capable with several) and exhibits a whole lot more visceral seething I find more akin to Siouxie Sioux than Christina Aguilera. Her voice sounds unusually resonant, not forced, to these ears.

Play Anon had what I thought was a more accurate take, “she cut a stylish, strong figure reminiscent of rock feminist icons like Patti Smith or Debbie Harry in her early Blondie days.” http://playanon.blogspot.com/2010/02/black-dub-magic.html

It almost sounds like you wanted to sell her short because the surface appearance seems so odd.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:22:00 +0000

Welcome back Steve, I was worried that everyone had abandoned their blogs, which is a sad thing. Not true it seems.

I found a YouTube vid with this crew and I can see the division in what people think about Trixie’s voice. On the one hand, shes certainly good enough to be a pro, and didn’t seem extremely out of place with the others. Looking at it logically she gets the job done.

However, there is something I don’t like about the way she sings. It does sound fake, like she’s hiding her real voice behind that soul style. I suppose I don’t like soul singing in general, but these little growls and ‘yeah’s are distracting and I’d rather listen to someone else singing.

Though I wouldn’t know she was white from listening to her if that is any merit to her.

By: steve

steve — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:34:23 +0000

Well, then i do take back my assumption of romantic involvement. I just think its strange for someone at her level to be put in front of a group of that level, it just doesn’t compute. Lets see what happens in a few years…

By: Santiago

Santiago — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:35:44 +0000

Hi, interesting review. I come from a slightly different angle to the whole thing, as I knew more about the back story when I first heard Black Dub. Trixie Whitley is the daughter of the late Chris Whitley who Lanois championed in the early 90s. Indeed, both Daryl Johnson and Daniel Lanois, the original bass player with Black Dub played on his first album and a few of the other ones he released.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Whitley
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/gz/gz100213daniel_lanois_black_

Therefore, there is a lot of history to the relationship. From what I know, she is actually married, so any questions of romantic entanglement with Lanois (or Brian Blade as I read in a drummer’s website!) do not seem to be justified in any way.

Apart from this context, in terms of her voice and worth as an artist, your opinion is as valid as mine.

I agree that she is very much developing as an artist and that her singing can sometimes sound a bit like mainstream soul. But (personally) her voice rings true to me, and I think she is still growing as an artist. When she gets it right, she does wonderful stuff. I wish she would do more whispery singing as in the song Silverado or when she harmonizes on The messenger, as I think she sounds really unique.

I saw Black Dub in Brussels and, although it’s true that everybody else on stage (Lanois, Brian Blade and Jim Wilson) was an absolute master of their craft, Trixie Whitley showed that she was their equal in terms of musical soul and personality. To get her craft to the level of the others will take time, but to me the band is already worth listening to.

Anyway, just my opinion. I suppose it’s just a matter of taste in the end.