Bassist and leader Polly O’Keary sings with grit as she mixes the urgency of Janis Joplin with the earth tones of Beth Hart with her rollicking trio of guitarist David Miller and drummer Tommy Cook during this smoky juke joint of a collection of gig recordings at side road places like “Peabo’s Sports Bar and Village Taphouse and Grill. Serve them up!!
O’Keary and company mix up originals and covers like steak fries and sauces, growling through an rocking “Red Light” and stomping out a funky “A Man Who Can Stand.” The trio has the boogie blues shuffle in their marrow, with Miller’s guitar crying out on “It’s My Soul” and O’Keary laying out a nasty bass line for a slithering “Sugar Daddy.” Riveting and stark blues and painted on all of the walls, as on the Chicago trip for “Black Crow Callin’” and the gospel’d “In My Father’s House.” Cloudy skies hover on the ballad “Old Love” and the team rocks like ZZ Top for the thick strings of “Stop Train” before O’Keary bares her soul as she moans through “Gather ‘Round Me Angels.” This lady has been around the block, and sings like she survived the trip.