A Good Day for the Blues
1999 studio album by Ruth Brown
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A Good Day for the Blues is an album by the American musician Ruth Brown, released in 1999 via Bullseye Blues.[1][2] After recovering from health ailments, Brown supported the album with several concert dates.[3] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Album".[4] A Good Day for the Blues was Brown's final studio album.[5]
| A Good Day for the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1999 | |||
| Studio | Ultrasonic | |||
| Genre | Blues, R&B | |||
| Label | Bullseye Blues | |||
| Producer | Scott Billington | |||
| Ruth Brown chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
Produced by Scott Billington, the album was recorded at Ultransonic Studios, in New Orleans.[6][7][8] "I Believe I Can Fly" is a cover of the R. Kelly song.[9] Brown learned to perform "Cabbage Head" during her childhood.[10] Dan Penn wrote "Be Good to Me Tonight" and "Can't Stand a Broke Man".[11] "True" is a cover of the Paul Gayten song.[12] Duke Robillard played guitar on A Good Day for the Blues.[13] Wardell Quezergue worked on some of the song arrangements.[14] A couple of the songs contain spoken word passages by Brown.[15]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Atlanta Constitution | B+[9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [16] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [15] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [17] |
| The Sunday Age | [18] |
The Sunday Age wrote that "Good Day represents the best, horn-driven, vintage R&B put out today."[18] The Atlanta Constitution noted that, "with Brown's experience, she's able to seamlessly explore the tricky territory between blues and jazz with ease."[9] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette deemed the album "a tribute to her vocal skills—if anything, better with age, a voice full of whiskey and wry."[17] The Chicago Tribune determined that it leans "more on sassy, rambling story-songs like 'H.B.'s Funky Fable' than her classic belting style."[19]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Day for the Blues" | |
| 2. | "Can't Stand a Broke Man" | |
| 3. | "Never Let Me Go" | |
| 4. | "Hangin' by a Shoestring" | |
| 5. | "H.B.'s Funky Fable" | |
| 6. | "A Lover Is Forever" | |
| 7. | "Ice Water in Your Veins" | |
| 8. | "True" | |
| 9. | "Cabbage Head" | |
| 10. | "The Richest One" | |
| 11. | "Be Good to Me Tonight" | |
| 12. | "I Believe I Can Fly" |