Vala Cupp
One Thing on My Mind (Chameleon/Dali) (STAR)
If you saw blues patriarch John Lee Hooker at last year`s Chicago Blues Festival, you also saw one of his latest proteges, singer Vala Cupp. She was the miniskirted beauty whose overblown vocals fronting his band on a few opening numbers made the wait for Hooker seem all the longer. Cupp fares little better on her debut record, produced by Hooker. Her problem is a common one when white singers try too hard to sound black. The end result is a full range of vocal affectations that bury any emotional empathy Cupp might have for her material. Only on the jazzy ballad, ”Don`t Touch Me,” does Cupp dial down the lung power. Bonnie Raitt and Chicago`s Joanna Connor are proof positive that white women can sing the blues without resorting to vocal blackface. Vala Cupp would be well served to follow their example.
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