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Vocalist Beverly Lewis Conveys Stunning Versatility On Bluesy New Record

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Vocalist Beverly Lewis knows how to bring the house down, leaving audiences in All Shades of Blues. Her voice emits a raw power that wallops everything in its path. Although she is able to include the various nuances of jazz and country in her repertoire, it is the blues that Lewis lives and breathes. Her singing, sometimes raspy, sometimes affectionately smooth, reaches into the deepest recesses of the heart. On “Someone Else Is Steppin' In," Lewis is pulling herself from the wreckage of a crushed relationship. However, she does so with the perseverance of one who refuses to roll over in self-pity. In fact, her voice packs the gritty punch of defiance as John Fifield's paint-peeling slide guitar and Randy Singer's heat-seeking harmonica heighten the tension.

On her latest album All Shades of Blues, Lewis rips open the wall between artist and listener, allowing bottled-up emotions to spill over. On “The Jealous Kind," Lewis delivers the kind of dewy-eyed performance that used to leave country-music audiences in tears. The standard of melancholy that Lewis is aiming for here was set by Patsy Cline in the '50s, and Lewis accomplishes it without sounding retro. But All Shades of Blues isn't just about break-ups and bitterness. On “It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)," Lewis offers a proclamation of commitment that is vividly conveyed in the breathtaking roar of her singing. Lewis' versatility is stunning. On “Since I Fell for You," her jazz crooning cushions the ear with its plush tones; on “Mad About Him, Sad Without Him Blues," Lewis is more aggressive and is equally effective. Remarkable.

Lewis has been in the entertainment industry for most of her life. At the age of 9 Lewis was already singing in radio commercials in Toledo, Ohio. Her fascination with the blues was triggered by genre icons such as Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Elvis Presley. All Shades of Blues is dedicated to her mother, Clara.

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