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Sena Ehrhardt: All In

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Blind Pig Records
Released: 2013.03.12
Time:
 47:05
Category: Blues, Blues-Rock
Producer(s): Jim Gaines
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.senaehrhardt.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2014
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Buried Alive (E.Ehrhardt/S.Ehrhardt) - 3:56
[2] Cry to Me (B.Russell) - 3:12
[3] All In (E.Ehrhardt/S.Ehrhardt) - 3:35
[4] I Want to Get You Back (T.Hambridge/G.Nicholson) - 4:25
[5] Cold Cold Feeling (J.M.Robinson) - 5:59
[6] Live and Learn (E.Ehrhardt/S.Ehrhardt) - 3:48
[7] Man Up (E.Ehrhardt/S.Ehrhardt) - 3:37
[8] Storm’s Coming (E.Ehrhardt/S.Ehrhardt) - 5:00
[9] Baby Valentine (E.Ehrhardt/S.Ehrhardt) - 3:39
[10] So Excited (G.Jemmott/R.King) - 4:46
[11] Dreamin’ or Dyin’ (E.Ehrhardt/S.Ehrhardt) - 5:08

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Sena Ehrhardt - Vocals
Edward Ehrhardt - Guitar, Photography
Steve Potts - Drums

Jim Gaines - Engineer, Mixing, Producer
Edward Chmelewski - Executive Producer
Jerry del Giudice - Executive Producer
Blaise Barton - Mastering
Al Brandtner - Design
Haley Waller - Photography

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Sena Ehrhardt's second Blind Pig release is a combination of soulful, roots-oriented music that incorporates blues-rock, reggae, soul-blues, and funk. The influence of multi-Grammy-award winner Jim Gaines, who has worked with numerous rock and blues performers, definitely made a difference in utilizing and combining the eclectic mixture without losing the identity of the band - Steve Hansen on bass, Tim Hasler on drums, and Sena's father, Ed Ehrhardt, on guitar. Seven of the songs on All In were written by Sena and her father, including the reflective closing track "Dreamin' or Dyin.'" Also of special note among the 11 tunes are the cover versions of Solomon Burke's "Cry to Me" and "Cold Cold Feeling," originally recorded by T-Bone Walker.

Al Campbell - All Music Guide



Sena Ehrhardt is unquestionably one of the freshest and most dynamic emerging young voices on the blues scene today. Once the lights come on, her commanding stage presence and gritty, soulfully emotional vocal prowess capture the audience, belying her youthful, demure appearance. The buzz about Sena is poised to go nationwide as word is getting out about her incendiary performances at clubs and festivals across the Midwest and beyond, as well as the uniformly enthusiastic response to her brilliant Blind Pig debut recording, 2011 s Leave The Light On - voted Blues Blast Magazine s Best New Artist Debut Release award winner.

For her second recording, Sena has teamed up with one the foremost producers in the worlds of rock and blues (Santana, Luther Allison, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc.), multi-Grammy Award winner Jim Gaines. Sena describes working with Jim like this: "I had the good fortune of recording this album at Bessie Blue Studios in Tennessee with Jim Gaines. The gifts of his experience, insights and vision were so inspiring. In the stripped back setting of a country home-turned studio, Jim made the music the star, and helped bring the best performances out of all the musicians on the album. There were no pretenses- it was just about the songs and the stories behind them. I feel honored to have worked with such a legend and gentleman."

Amazon.com



On a recent dreary and rainy Saturday morning, headed south on a road trip, I put the new Blind Pig release All In by the young Sena Ehrhardt into the CD player while setting the cruise for the drive down I-65. This was the perfect weather and atmosphere to listen to a new upcoming blues artist. Upon the first listen I would have to say that this is a delightful and wonderful CD.  All In is her second release and Ehrhardt, with her mentor/guitarist/co-writer and father Ed, enlisted the aid of well known blues producer Jim Gaines (Luther Allison, SRV, Santana).
 
Leaving the comforts of their home in Minnesota for Tennessee, this project was recorded at Bessie Blue Studios and the performances and sound are crisp and dynamic and come at you without hesitation from the speakers. Mastered here by Chicago’s own Blaise Barton at Joyride Studios it’s a refreshingly big and open sound in this day of computer music and mp3s.

The CD opens with the contagious groove of “Buried Alive”. This song firmly ascertains Sena’s “in your face” vocal delivery that continues throughout the CD. The girl can really sing and although most people will roll their eyes with the mention of her father as the guitarist, the guy can really play. The effect is obvious that Sena grew up in a house full of music, most notably influenced by the blues.

On the second tune, a cover of Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me,” they borrow extensively from a well-known Miss Raitt’s arrangement and delivery playbook. But the comparison should not be considered a problem here, as they pull it off easily and convincingly, and it segues well into the funkier side of blues with the subsequent title track “All In”, written by Sena and her dad.

Track number 4 moves into the heavier rockin’ side of blues with “I Want To Get You Back”, penned by famed blues producer Tom Hambridge and Gary Nicholson. This song is one of my personal favorites on the CD and the interplay between Sena’s vocal tones and her father’s guitar works really well. Both equally contribute to the overall strength of this song and I would be surprised if you didn’t find yourself singing along.

My second favorite song follows up next as a more traditional slower blues tune in Albert Collins’ “Cold Cold Feeling”. It’s great to hear such depth and feeling from such a young singer. Her delivery is strong and with the emotion you would expect from a much more seasoned performer. I’m sure this is where the experience of producer Jim Gaines becomes obvious and was a good move.

The CD continues on with nary a bad song to be found anywhere all the way through the end. This brings me back to a comment from the first paragraph “Upon the first listen”. As is common with a release from new and upcoming artists, trying to prove their worth, each and every song is a different style of blues. There’s 11 tracks and each one touches on a slightly different genre or take of the blues. The CD is pleasurable to hear because it’s almost like listening to a radio station.

Of the varied performances there is not really a bad one. Some are better than others and some are just okay. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it makes it hard to define what Ms. Ehrhardt’s really all about. You can’t be everything to everybody and my recommendation to her is pick one, any one. Pick a style and direction and own it, make it your clear distinguishable signature as the greats before you have done. If Ms. Ehrhardt decides to eventually pick one, I’m sure she will take it to a new level and firmly cement her future as a singer and a blues performer. But in the meantime, go buy the CD, you won’t be disappointed.
 
Larry Schara - Chicago Blues Guide



Given Sena Ehrhardt’s carnal appeal to the male demographic, it seems odd that the old adage, “a good man is hard to find” might carry some truth - even for a sexy blues goddess! Yet unlike the sassy stage-strutting routine that marked her 2011 debut album, Leave The Light On, the singer’s new release, All In, sounds like the work of a woman who’s grown tired of being just another plaything for the boys.

Ehrhardt doesn’t spend a great deal of time dragging her feathers around over broken affairs. There’s plenty of nails and sass to go along with the spate of shunned affections that seem to have befallen her of late. Poor thing. Not surprisingly, All In is awash in frustrated female emotions.

Too bad Ehrhardt’s efforts at writing about those emotions register at the low end of the creativity scale. The half dozen originals she’s penned with guitarist Edward Ehrhardt (he’s her Dad) are formulaic and predictable: a distillation of ‘70s-flavored rock and hard-edged blues paved over with ninth chords to give things a funk feel.

Trouble is the rudimentary configuration of bass, guitar and drums providing back up for Ehrhardt’s wounded lover pathos simply isn’t enough to put static material like “Live and Learn,” “Man Up” and “Storm’s Coming” over with sustained conviction. But then again, even the most professional session players can only do so much with semi-professional song material.

Fortunately, the handful of cover tunes scattered among the album’s lesser lights afford All In its few shining moments. The best of these is the old soul ballad, “Cry To Me.” Best known as a Rolling Stones’ cover on 1965’s Out Of Our Heads, this lonesome tune packs as much raw emotional energy into a song as can be created by a basic line-up of rhythm section and singer. Nothing else on All In compels as much attention thanks in large part to the emotional fire written into its mournful lyric and strident melody by early-60s soul producer, Bert Russell. Ehrhardt’s version doesn’t quite match the primal energy present in most early Stones’ recordings. But then again, little else ever has.

There’s no doubt that Sena Ehrhardt possesses a face and body uniquely equipped to entertain. Presented with great material, she’s as competent a singer as you’re likely to hear working the club circuit. Only nominally could she be called a songwriter, however. Love may have taken its toll on Sena’s fragile emotions, but she’d be better served by letting some one else write about them.

Tony Del Rey - July 2013
The Boston Blues Society
 

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