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Irma Thomas - Simply Grand (2008)

Posted By: Designol

Date: 17 May 2025 07:02:05

There has always been a piano at the heart of Irma Thomas's music, and she is accompanied here by twelve of the best pianists around, including Dr. John, Norah Jones, Randy Newman, and many more. The Grammyr-winning Soul Queen of New Orleans has never sounded better than in this all-acoustic setting. From the soul-searing passion of 'Cold Rain' to the bittersweet intimacy of 'This Bitter Earth,' Irma's enduring warmth and soulfulness prevail, never straying far from the blues. Included are many new songs (including one from Burt Bacharach and Steve Krikorian) and a previously unrecorded Doc Pomus-Dr. John composition.

After a lifetime in the business, the Soul Queen of New Orleans finally won a Best Contemporary Blues Grammy in 2006 for After the Rain. As everyone knows, there's a lot more to Thomas than the blues. She's a powerful R&B belter, simmering soul singer, and all round entertainer as comfortable with a standard like "Stormy Weather" as she is with a new tune like Dr. John's "Be You." True to its punny title, Simply Grand features Thomas in the company of 13 piano players laying down accompaniment on the acoustic grand. The tunes are old and new, borrowed and blue, but Thomas makes them all her own. The most powerful tracks here showcase Thomas and a solo pianist, bringing the feel of a smoky late-night bar on the end of lonely street to life. "Be You" features Dr. John, who played piano on the very first Thomas recording session, 1959's "You Can Have My Husband (But Don't Mess with My Man)." Rebennack's piano on "Be You" is dramatic and funky, halfway between a Mardi Gras romp and a Sunday morning sermon. Written by Rebennack and Doc Pomus, it's a simple, soulful love song with a playful vocal by Thomas . On the Louis Jordan standard "If I Had Any Sense I'd Go Back Home" Mac and Thomas get down and dirty, with Thomas delivering a casual vocal that plays around with the beat, while Rebennack backs her with clusters of rippling arpeggios. "Somebody Told You," a sassy Allen Toussaint R&B number Thomas recorded back in 1962, gets a reprise (in the same key as the original) with John Medeski rolling out some stomping New Orleans fonk on his solo while Thomas testifies with her usual soulful intensity. Marcia Ball chose the Leon Russell tune "Same Old Blues" for the session and gives it a gospel twist that lets Thomas flex her moaning lower resister. Randy Newman supplies keys and his own "Think It's Going to Rain Today" to close the album. Thomas makes a bleak lyric even more forlorn with an understated sighing vocal that's downright heartbreaking. But the album also has it's sassy, uptempo moments. John Fogerty's "River Is Waiting" also has a celebratory churchy ambience with great backing vocals, Henry Butler's sanctified piano, and Thomas' testifying lifting the tune to heaven. "Early in the Morning," another Louis Jordan tune, a tongue in cheek tale of a woman looking for solace after being up all night, gets a humorous read from Thomas and pianist Tom McDermott. "Underground Stream" is a pop tune from pianist David Egan that combines R&B and gospel with a classic '40s pop feel. The chorus is instantly memorable, and if there was any justice in the world it'd be the monster hit Thomas deserves.

Review by Allmusic.com

Irma Thomas is one of the great R&B and soul singers of New Orleans; her last album, After the Rain, was a powerful tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina thanks to the strength of her vocals and the straightforward, uncluttered backing. She continues in the same style here, mostly backed only by piano. Now in her 60s, she has a voice that is as understated, easy and direct as ever, capable of switching between rhythmic blues, gospel and the occasional ballad. The celebrity pianist guests include Randy Newman, Marcia Ball, Norah Jones and that other New Orleans legend, Dr John. He played on her first recording 49 years ago, and joins her now for a couple of gently powerful blues workouts. Concept albums like this can be a mess, but this one justifies its title: it's both simple and grand.

Review by Robin Denselow, The Guardian

Irma Thomas at Allmusic
Irma Thomas at Wiki

Tracklist:

01. River is Waiting (with Henry Butler) (4:05)
02. If I Had Any Sense I'd Go Back Home (with Dr. John) (3:30)
03. Too Much Thinking (with Jon Cleary) (3:19)
04. Early in the Morning (with Tom McDermott) (3:30)
05. What Can I Do (with David Torkanowsky) (4:00)
06. Underground Stream (with David Egan) (3:51)
07. Thinking About You (with Norah Jones) (3:22)
08. Be You (with Dr. John) (5:02)
09. This Bitter Earth (with Ellis Marsalis) (4:44)
10. Cold Rain (with David Torkanowsky) (4:46)
11. Somebody Told You (with John Medeski) (3:17)
12. Overrated (with Davell Crawford) (4:48)
13. Same Old Blues (with Marcia Ball) (4:47)
14. I Think It's Going to Rain Today (with Randy Newman) (3:00)

EAC log

Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 6 from 9. April 2015

EAC extraction logfile from 17. January 2018, 5:38

Irma Thomas / Simply Grand

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Make use of C2 pointers : No

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Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
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Selected bitrate : 320 kBit/s
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Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Genre=%genre%" -T "Artist=%artist%" -T "Title=%title%" -T "Album=%albumtitle%" -T "Date=%year%" -T "Tracknumber=%tracknr%" -T "Comment=%comment%" %source%

TOC of the extracted CD

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12 | 43:26.54 | 4:47.38 | 195504 | 217066
13 | 48:14.17 | 4:47.33 | 217067 | 238624
14 | 53:01.50 | 3:00.19 | 238625 | 252143

Range status and errors

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Filename L:\Audio\SWF\CD\Irma Thomas\2008. Irma Thomas - Simply Grand (2008 Rounder, 11661-2202-2, USA)\Irma Thomas - Simply Grand.wav

Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 8.5 X
Range quality 100.0 %
Test CRC EFFD25D3
Copy CRC EFFD25D3
Copy OK

No errors occurred

AccurateRip summary

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10 | (15/15) Accurately ripped
11 | (15/15) Accurately ripped
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13 | (15/15) Accurately ripped
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==== Log checksum 66A3B6AAFD748911F302E26F48EBDD632B7ED4E216DEFB902019E060A7A42465 ====

DR log

foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2018-06-13 01:42:13

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Irma Thomas / Simply Grand
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR8 0.00 dB -10.29 dB 4:05 01-River is Waiting (with Henry Butler)
DR10 -0.15 dB -12.79 dB 3:30 02-If I Had Any Sense I'd Go Back Home (with Dr. John)
DR8 0.00 dB -9.74 dB 3:19 03-Too Much Thinking (with Jon Cleary)
DR9 -0.16 dB -10.67 dB 3:30 04-Early in the Morning (with Tom McDermott)
DR7 -0.14 dB -11.16 dB 4:00 05-What Can I Do (with David Torkanowsky)
DR9 0.00 dB -10.86 dB 3:51 06-Underground Stream (with David Egan)
DR10 -0.14 dB -12.10 dB 3:22 07-Thinking About You (with Norah Jones)
DR10 -0.16 dB -12.16 dB 5:02 08-Be You (with Dr. John)
DR12 -0.16 dB -14.60 dB 4:44 09-This Bitter Earth (with Ellis Marsalis)
DR9 0.00 dB -12.08 dB 4:46 10-Cold Rain (with David Torkanowsky)
DR8 -0.14 dB -10.50 dB 3:17 11-Somebody Told You (with John Medeski)
DR9 -0.12 dB -12.86 dB 4:48 12-Overrated (with Davell Crawford)
DR11 -0.15 dB -12.95 dB 4:47 13-Same Old Blues (with Marcia Ball)
DR11 -0.15 dB -15.11 dB 3:00 14-I Think It's Going to Rain Today (with Randy Newman)
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 14
Official DR value: DR9

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 745 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

All thanks to original releaser

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