Janine Wilson Band

With her third album, Janine Wilson presents a study in contradictions. Her first set of original material finds her savvy but sensitive, questioning the motives of wandering lovers and her own ability to find a willing mate. Wilson’s never weepy; her ability to transform anguish and uncertainty into sultry, assertive attitude rescues her from the trap of self-pity. The arrangements are forceful and assured, but it’s the songs themselves – “It Should Be Me,” the riveting “Just Kiss Her,” the driving “Not for Real” and the cool come on of “Kiss You at Hello” – that attest to her power and conviction. Wilson makes her hooks resonate, giving Wakin’ Up a sense of rousing affirmation.

M Music & Musicians
SEPT/OCT 2010 Issue
- M Music & Musicians

Lobbyist's aid Wilson lays down the law onstage


Wilson, who works days as an
assistant to a lobbyist in Washington,
returns to her hometown to sing songs
from The Blue Album, a CD she
released herself in 2000, and whatever
else she deems appropriate for a
homecoming party.
The disc showcases her range.
Wilson can rumble in a barrelhouse,
but she is strongest on the slow-burners.
Highlights on a disc that includes takes
on Slim Harpo’s Queen Bee and Helen
Humes’ It’s Better To Give Than To
Receive are Elvis Costello’s Almost
Blue and Keith Richards’ Make No
Mistake.
Wilson sings with a number of
Washington musicians and is working
on her second record, which, she said,
ought to involve inspirations as varied
as her debut.
“Many think of Bette Midler and
think Wind Beneath My Wings,”
Wilson said in reference to another
standout on her debut. “She also did
Breaking Up Somebody’s Home.
When I heard that when I was younger
– ‘Whoa!’”
Wilson’s band tonight will feature
guitarist Sean Carney.
— AARON BECK
- Aaron Beck

It's easy to feel blue nowadays, isn't it? It used to be that just
normal occurrences of life would be the breaking points for many of us. Breakups with lovers, firings from jobs, fights with family members----any or all of these would have been enough to see the tears a'rolling from the eyes. However, all those seem mighty small compared to the new world order that was bestowed upon us a few months ago. All of us have been affected by sadness to some degree. Therefore, Janine Wilson's CD will seem like a soothing tonic to the trials and tribulations!

Her album is aptly named. There's trouble brewing in one form or another throughout all the tunes contained within. Since the songs are all covers, Janine has chosen wisely from all sources. As a result, there is a melancholy Elvis Costello ballad nestled next to a Keith Richards rhythmic jivefest. There's also some fine 60's soul songwriters represented here as well.

The Elvis tune "Almost Blue" is served most respectfully to the original. The only accompaniment to Janine's vocals is a subdued piano that makes this song feel like a torch song. It's sung very expressively and thoughts of Julie London are evoked.

It's quite interesting to see a Keith Richards song make it onto
the album. Most of the time, the Rolling Stones are covered by their fans , but rarely does the solo material garner that sort of treatment. So, "Make No Mistake" from the first solo album is seen as a breakthrough of sorts. Ms. Wilson does a credible job on it, singing the low notes as Keither would do. Add in plenty of holes for the punchy horn section and guitar licks and it's an arrangement that could do him proud.

Speaking of the ol' lads, "Queen Bee" was also done by them back in 1964 with a male gender title then. "(I'm A) King Bee", written by Slim Harpo, has a stinging, blatant sexual come-on attached to it. Here, it's done a bit more playful, with creamy slide guitar throughout like an Allman Brothers take.

Incidentally, the majority of the guitar parts are played by Jesse Taylor, who provides some exemplary sounds throughout, most notably on "Passionate Kiss". Not related to Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses", the tune is more about the thrills one gets from a certain someone's kisses. It's a fix she can't get enough of. Written by Duke Robillard, this arrangement leaves plenty of room for slinky, sexy vocals, and fluid, aggressive guitar, both of which fills the gaps admirably.

There's a good mixture of tunes and rhythms here to please any follower of the blues genre. To name an album "The Blue Album" means strong conviction in an ability to drive the point home. Janine Wilson and her band have the strength to do so. With that, the CD is very enjoyable to listen to. It may be an oxymoron to feel good after listening to sad songs, but at times like these, having a spokesperson like Janine Wilson may be the medicine we all need!
- Karen Liebowitz

After Hours - The Blues in Lobbyland

There are 99 ways to reach out to lobbying clients in Washington, D.C. Here is the 100th: Grab D.C. singer Janine Wilson¹s CD, "The Blue Album," and send it to most everyone in your rolodex. Or when clients come to the District to work out the details of a lobbying campaign or talk to regulators, round them up at the end of the day and take them to Blues Alley to hear Wilson do her thing.

She might be singing a tune appropriate to the occasion, like Bobby Blue Bland¹s "I Smell Trouble," or‹for that special congressional appropriator in your life‹Helen Hume¹s "It¹s Better to Give Than to Receive."

The giveaway is part of the plan for Robert Dawson, the former head of the Army Corps of Engineers and associate director of the Office of Management and Budget who now runs his own lobby shop, Dawson & Associates.

"When her CD came out, I sent it to every client," says Dawson. "Not just the CEO, but everybody at the client with whom we deal. It¹s good for the client relationship and great for Janine."

Dawson has a special reason to give Wilson a hand. She¹s been working at his side for eight years, as his executive assistant at the lobbying powerhouse Cassidy & Associates and now at Dawson & Associates.

By day, she¹s setting up Dawson¹s appointments at the Hill or the agencies as he works energy and environmental issues for a variety of companies. By night, she¹s earning her place as one of the most popular blues singers in the District.

Last week at the walk-in-closet-sized Velvet Lounge on U Street, N.W. it was easy to see why. A charming band leader, Wilson also is a powerful and nuanced singer, constantly flicking her long red locks away from her eyes as she digs deep into material from across the blues and roots spectrum. After guitarist (and high school student) Robert Frahm took a particularly incendiary solo" He¹s not even jailbait yet!" noted Wilson, she polished off her set with a stirring version of one of the best cuts from her CD, a driving rock anthem called "What Passes for Love," by former Joe Ely and John Mellencamp sideman David Grissom.

On Feb. 24, Wilson was slated to hit The State Theater in Falls Church, up for two of the Washington Area Music Association¹s "Wammies"‹for Best Blues singer and for fronting the Best Blues Band. She¹s been nominated for more than a dozen Wammies over the years.

Wilson is far from the only person in the political arena with music on her mind. Dawson himself is the leader of the Dawson Singers, a country outfit that plays pro bono gigs throughout the region. Sitting with Wilson in his office, by Franklin Square, Dawson explains that he plays "the retirement home circuit," schools, and homeless shelters, and has performed at Lorton Prison and Alexandria City Jail.

"Anywhere there¹s a captive audience," jokes Wilson.

Listening to Dawson reveals why he¹s probably both a good lobbyist and a good singer. His baritone voice and molasses-slow delivery enriched by a deep Alabama accent might lull anyone into adding a harmless little earmark to a bill.

David Shilton, a bassist in the Dawson Singers and a trial attorney at the Department of Justice¹s Environmental and Natural Resources Division, says, "Bob has a real incredible talent for reaching out and communicating with all sorts of different audiences."

While Dawson¹s music venture is not anywhere near as serious as Wilson¹s, the curious need not be locked down to hear him live. He will be performing one of his every-now-and-then solo gigs at St. Elmo¹s Coffee Pub in Alexandria on March 17.

Wilson, as is usually the case, has bigger plans. She and her band will be at Blues Alley on March 26. She will reunite with the other members of Les Tomates Chaudes, a vocal trio also featuring local favorite Mary Shaver and former local favorite Cindy Cain, at the 219 in Old Town Alexandria on April 5 and 6. Wilson will also take her traditional place at the Baltimore Blues festival in May, and every year returns like a migrating bird to Baltimore¹s unique Night of 100 Elvises, though she performs as a non-Elvis.

Cain, one of Wilson¹s fellow Tomates, has her own tangled tale of politics and the blues. When Cain lived in the District, she was the press secretary for Democratic Rep. Dave McCurdy of Oklahoma.

"He gave me some of my first gigs," says Cain, recalling a party at the Cannon Building for the House Legislative Assistants Association where her then-band, C.C. and the Rhythm Toys, first met the public.

But her plans to use politics to launch her musical career‹she was saving money to go full time into music‹suffered when the Republican sweep in 1994 helped knock McCurdy off the Hill.

"The great voter revolt put my retirement plan into action a lot earlier than I had anticipated," she laments. But, as the pa - Bill Kisliuk

After Hours - The Blues in Lobbyland

There are 99 ways to reach out to lobbying clients in Washington, D.C. Here is the 100th: Grab D.C. singer Janine Wilson¹s CD, "The Blue Album," and send it to most everyone in your rolodex. Or when clients come to the District to work out the details of a lobbying campaign or talk to regulators, round them up at the end of the day and take them to Blues Alley to hear Wilson do her thing.

She might be singing a tune appropriate to the occasion, like Bobby Blue Bland¹s "I Smell Trouble," or‹for that special congressional appropriator in your life‹Helen Hume¹s "It¹s Better to Give Than to Receive."

The giveaway is part of the plan for Robert Dawson, the former head of the Army Corps of Engineers and associate director of the Office of Management and Budget who now runs his own lobby shop, Dawson & Associates.

"When her CD came out, I sent it to every client," says Dawson. "Not just the CEO, but everybody at the client with whom we deal. It¹s good for the client relationship and great for Janine."

Dawson has a special reason to give Wilson a hand. She¹s been working at his side for eight years, as his executive assistant at the lobbying powerhouse Cassidy & Associates and now at Dawson & Associates.

By day, she¹s setting up Dawson¹s appointments at the Hill or the agencies as he works energy and environmental issues for a variety of companies. By night, she¹s earning her place as one of the most popular blues singers in the District.

Last week at the walk-in-closet-sized Velvet Lounge on U Street, N.W. it was easy to see why. A charming band leader, Wilson also is a powerful and nuanced singer, constantly flicking her long red locks away from her eyes as she digs deep into material from across the blues and roots spectrum. After guitarist (and high school student) Robert Frahm took a particularly incendiary solo" He¹s not even jailbait yet!" noted Wilson, she polished off her set with a stirring version of one of the best cuts from her CD, a driving rock anthem called "What Passes for Love," by former Joe Ely and John Mellencamp sideman David Grissom.

On Feb. 24, Wilson was slated to hit The State Theater in Falls Church, up for two of the Washington Area Music Association¹s "Wammies"‹for Best Blues singer and for fronting the Best Blues Band. She¹s been nominated for more than a dozen Wammies over the years.

Wilson is far from the only person in the political arena with music on her mind. Dawson himself is the leader of the Dawson Singers, a country outfit that plays pro bono gigs throughout the region. Sitting with Wilson in his office, by Franklin Square, Dawson explains that he plays "the retirement home circuit," schools, and homeless shelters, and has performed at Lorton Prison and Alexandria City Jail.

"Anywhere there¹s a captive audience," jokes Wilson.

Listening to Dawson reveals why he¹s probably both a good lobbyist and a good singer. His baritone voice and molasses-slow delivery enriched by a deep Alabama accent might lull anyone into adding a harmless little earmark to a bill.

David Shilton, a bassist in the Dawson Singers and a trial attorney at the Department of Justice¹s Environmental and Natural Resources Division, says, "Bob has a real incredible talent for reaching out and communicating with all sorts of different audiences."

While Dawson¹s music venture is not anywhere near as serious as Wilson¹s, the curious need not be locked down to hear him live. He will be performing one of his every-now-and-then solo gigs at St. Elmo¹s Coffee Pub in Alexandria on March 17.

Wilson, as is usually the case, has bigger plans. She and her band will be at Blues Alley on March 26. She will reunite with the other members of Les Tomates Chaudes, a vocal trio also featuring local favorite Mary Shaver and former local favorite Cindy Cain, at the 219 in Old Town Alexandria on April 5 and 6. Wilson will also take her traditional place at the Baltimore Blues festival in May, and every year returns like a migrating bird to Baltimore¹s unique Night of 100 Elvises, though she performs as a non-Elvis.

Cain, one of Wilson¹s fellow Tomates, has her own tangled tale of politics and the blues. When Cain lived in the District, she was the press secretary for Democratic Rep. Dave McCurdy of Oklahoma.

"He gave me some of my first gigs," says Cain, recalling a party at the Cannon Building for the House Legislative Assistants Association where her then-band, C.C. and the Rhythm Toys, first met the public.

But her plans to use politics to launch her musical career‹she was saving money to go full time into music‹suffered when the Republican sweep in 1994 helped knock McCurdy off the Hill.

"The great voter revolt put my retirement plan into action a lot earlier than I had anticipated," she laments. But, as the pa - Bill Kisliuk

On the Town
By Eric Brace - Washington Post Staff Writer
Janine Wilson plays the Washington game in her day job as executive assistant to Robert Dawson, head of the big-time energy and environmental lobbying firm Dawson & Associates. After a full day of dealing with power brokers, Wilson somehow finds her second wind and launches into her parallel career as one of Washington’s best blues singers.

Wilson moved to Washington from Columbus, Ohio, in 1983, tagging along with a friend who was attending college here. She hung out in the roots music scene, but didn’t start performing on her own until 1990. “I was always singing along to records and I was in musicals in high school,” Wilson says, “but I never imagined myself really doing it.”

That changed when she befriended Virginia Lawrence of the rockabilly band Virginia & the Blue Dots. “I remember one day we were eating in some little Italian joint in Virginia somewhere, and I just told her how great it was that she was singing in a band, and that I really wanted to do it, too,” Wilson recalls. “She just said, ‘Well, you should.’ And that was that.”

Lawrence introduced her to some musicians and a band was born. Wilson began by mining the same rockabilly vein as the Blue Dots, but then a dose of Lou Ann Barton made her shift gears. “It’s not like I hadn’t heard the blues before Lou Ann Barton or anything,” she says, “but it just spoke to me. Her stuff was more mature, it was more up my alley.”

Rowdy Texas blues became Wilson’s signature style on the local club scene. She didn’t seem that inclined to take it any farther until a wedding in Texas opened up new possibilities.

“It was a client of my boss’s wedding, actually, and the band was great,” Wilson says. “I really wanted to sit in, and Don McCalister was the leader of the band, and he let me sing with them. I didn’t know who he was, but two years later he called me up and asked if I wanted to come down and make a record.”

The result of that trip was Wilson’s debut, 2000’s “The Blue Album,” produced by well-known Texas musician McCalister and featuring several top Austin studio cats. Wilson released it on her own Almost Blue Records, and it was one of the best albums by a D.C. artist that year. “I’ve been writing some of my own material for the next record,” Wilson says, “but I don’t really have a set band just yet, and I don’t want to record again until the line-up is more fixed.”

Wilson’s got a gig on Tuesday at Blues Alley, where she’ll be backed by guitarist Robert Frahm (a 17-year-old phenom who was tearing it up during a recent appearance by Wilson at the Velvet Lounge), bassist Brian McGregor, drummer Robbie Magruder, saxophonist Chris Watling and keyboard player David Sobel. Wilson is also appearing at the Tyson’s Corner Tower Records Saturday at 3 p.m. for an in-store concert; Saturday night at Summit Station in Gaithersburg; and Thursday at Jammin’ Java in Vienna.

- Eric Brace

On the Town
By Eric Brace - Washington Post Staff Writer
Janine Wilson plays the Washington game in her day job as executive assistant to Robert Dawson, head of the big-time energy and environmental lobbying firm Dawson & Associates. After a full day of dealing with power brokers, Wilson somehow finds her second wind and launches into her parallel career as one of Washington’s best blues singers.

Wilson moved to Washington from Columbus, Ohio, in 1983, tagging along with a friend who was attending college here. She hung out in the roots music scene, but didn’t start performing on her own until 1990. “I was always singing along to records and I was in musicals in high school,” Wilson says, “but I never imagined myself really doing it.”

That changed when she befriended Virginia Lawrence of the rockabilly band Virginia & the Blue Dots. “I remember one day we were eating in some little Italian joint in Virginia somewhere, and I just told her how great it was that she was singing in a band, and that I really wanted to do it, too,” Wilson recalls. “She just said, ‘Well, you should.’ And that was that.”

Lawrence introduced her to some musicians and a band was born. Wilson began by mining the same rockabilly vein as the Blue Dots, but then a dose of Lou Ann Barton made her shift gears. “It’s not like I hadn’t heard the blues before Lou Ann Barton or anything,” she says, “but it just spoke to me. Her stuff was more mature, it was more up my alley.”

Rowdy Texas blues became Wilson’s signature style on the local club scene. She didn’t seem that inclined to take it any farther until a wedding in Texas opened up new possibilities.

“It was a client of my boss’s wedding, actually, and the band was great,” Wilson says. “I really wanted to sit in, and Don McCalister was the leader of the band, and he let me sing with them. I didn’t know who he was, but two years later he called me up and asked if I wanted to come down and make a record.”

The result of that trip was Wilson’s debut, 2000’s “The Blue Album,” produced by well-known Texas musician McCalister and featuring several top Austin studio cats. Wilson released it on her own Almost Blue Records, and it was one of the best albums by a D.C. artist that year. “I’ve been writing some of my own material for the next record,” Wilson says, “but I don’t really have a set band just yet, and I don’t want to record again until the line-up is more fixed.”

Wilson’s got a gig on Tuesday at Blues Alley, where she’ll be backed by guitarist Robert Frahm (a 17-year-old phenom who was tearing it up during a recent appearance by Wilson at the Velvet Lounge), bassist Brian McGregor, drummer Robbie Magruder, saxophonist Chris Watling and keyboard player David Sobel. Wilson is also appearing at the Tyson’s Corner Tower Records Saturday at 3 p.m. for an in-store concert; Saturday night at Summit Station in Gaithersburg; and Thursday at Jammin’ Java in Vienna.

- Eric Brace

JANINE WILSON"Save Me From Myself"

Janine Wilson won several awards from the Washington Area Music Association for her 2000 debut album, "The Blues Album," including best blues album and best blues female vocalist. Although Wilson still projects the same brassy, captivating vocals on her follow-up, "Save Me From Myself," it's not until the final song -- a dramatic cover of Melissa Manchester's "Alone" -- that she fully exposes the torchy, traditional blues vibe she championed on "Blues Album."
Elsewhere, "Save Me" follows a twangier, more up-tempo path because of its more conventional guitar-bass-drums arrangements and Wilson's animated vocals. She kicks things off with a straight-shooting couplet, "You might think that I want more than this/But your kiss isn't that good," her unflinching delivery mirroring the confident message of the song "Don't Even Start." That candor permeates the album: The title track carries the same kind of self-exposure (and the same nearly hoarse vocals) as Sheryl Crow's early singles.
Despite the five-year hiatus between albums, most of "Save Me" is devoted to covers rather than to originals, including a saucy version of Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle." Her choice to turn Bruce Springsteen's melancholy "Ain't Got You" into a duet with Last Train Home's Eric Brace twists the song's original loneliness into a glimmer of hope. That creative reinterpretation combined with her outspoken delivery is precisely what makes Wilson so enchanting.
-- Catherine P. Lewis
- Catherine P. Lewis

JANINE WILSON"Save Me From Myself"

Janine Wilson won several awards from the Washington Area Music Association for her 2000 debut album, "The Blues Album," including best blues album and best blues female vocalist. Although Wilson still projects the same brassy, captivating vocals on her follow-up, "Save Me From Myself," it's not until the final song -- a dramatic cover of Melissa Manchester's "Alone" -- that she fully exposes the torchy, traditional blues vibe she championed on "Blues Album."
Elsewhere, "Save Me" follows a twangier, more up-tempo path because of its more conventional guitar-bass-drums arrangements and Wilson's animated vocals. She kicks things off with a straight-shooting couplet, "You might think that I want more than this/But your kiss isn't that good," her unflinching delivery mirroring the confident message of the song "Don't Even Start." That candor permeates the album: The title track carries the same kind of self-exposure (and the same nearly hoarse vocals) as Sheryl Crow's early singles.
Despite the five-year hiatus between albums, most of "Save Me" is devoted to covers rather than to originals, including a saucy version of Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle." Her choice to turn Bruce Springsteen's melancholy "Ain't Got You" into a duet with Last Train Home's Eric Brace twists the song's original loneliness into a glimmer of hope. That creative reinterpretation combined with her outspoken delivery is precisely what makes Wilson so enchanting.
-- Catherine P. Lewis
- Catherine P. Lewis

Janine Wilson, "The Blue Album" (JW) - Local music fans may remember Wilson from her rocking live shows at Moondance. This first CD from the Washington, D.C.-based blues belter is a highly satisfying blend of tunes and textures. It was recorded in Austin, Texas, with guitar master Jesse Taylor, and Wilson kicks off the recording with a solid Lou Ann Barton-Angela Strehli bad-girl blaster, "It's Better to Give Than to Receive," before rolling into a sultry "That Last Night." Other highlights include a tormented and soulful horn-driven turn on the Isaac Hayes-David Porter tune "When My Love Comes Down" and the straight blues groove of Slim Harpo's renamed "Queen Bee." Floyd Domino's understated piano gently frames Wilson's softer side on Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue," before a well-timed acoustic break comes with "And I Cried." A simmering "I Smell Trouble" puts a smoldering exclamation point on the project.
... when Wilson digs her heels in and opens up her big voice, it's best to pay close attention.

- Ames Arnold

It's easy to feel blue nowadays, isn't it? It used to be that just
normal occurrences of life would be the breaking points for many of us. Breakups with lovers, firings from jobs, fights with family members----any or all of these would have been enough to see the tears a'rolling from the eyes. However, all those seem mighty small compared to the new world order that was bestowed upon us a few months ago. All of us have been affected by sadness to some degree. Therefore, Janine Wilson's CD will seem like a soothing tonic to the trials and tribulations!

Her album is aptly named. There's trouble brewing in one form or another throughout all the tunes contained within. Since the songs are all covers, Janine has chosen wisely from all sources. As a result, there is a melancholy Elvis Costello ballad nestled next to a Keith Richards rhythmic jivefest. There's also some fine 60's soul songwriters represented here as well.

The Elvis tune "Almost Blue" is served most respectfully to the original. The only accompaniment to Janine's vocals is a subdued piano that makes this song feel like a torch song. It's sung very expressively and thoughts of Julie London are evoked.

It's quite interesting to see a Keith Richards song make it onto
the album. Most of the time, the Rolling Stones are covered by their fans , but rarely does the solo material garner that sort of treatment. So, "Make No Mistake" from the first solo album is seen as a breakthrough of sorts. Ms. Wilson does a credible job on it, singing the low notes as Keither would do. Add in plenty of holes for the punchy horn section and guitar licks and it's an arrangement that could do him proud.

Speaking of the ol' lads, "Queen Bee" was also done by them back in 1964 with a male gender title then. "(I'm A) King Bee", written by Slim Harpo, has a stinging, blatant sexual come-on attached to it. Here, it's done a bit more playful, with creamy slide guitar throughout like an Allman Brothers take.

Incidentally, the majority of the guitar parts are played by Jesse Taylor, who provides some exemplary sounds throughout, most notably on "Passionate Kiss". Not related to Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses", the tune is more about the thrills one gets from a certain someone's kisses. It's a fix she can't get enough of. Written by Duke Robillard, this arrangement leaves plenty of room for slinky, sexy vocals, and fluid, aggressive guitar, both of which fills the gaps admirably.

There's a good mixture of tunes and rhythms here to please any follower of the blues genre. To name an album "The Blue Album" means strong conviction in an ability to drive the point home. Janine Wilson and her band have the strength to do so. With that, the CD is very enjoyable to listen to. It may be an oxymoron to feel good after listening to sad songs, but at times like these, having a spokesperson like Janine Wilson may be the medicine we all need!
- Karen Liebowitz

"This stellar collection finds Janine wakin' up to a rockin' sound that combines all the best of her blues and soul chops. Fans from previous discs won't have any trouble getting on board the new sound."
Buzz McLain, writer for Playboy

"Wilson's voice is ridiculous on the new CD. That is, ridiculous in a good way. Just gorgeous. Holy hell." David Furst WAMU's Metro Connection - JWB