The Earliest Bird: Top New Recorded Release 2-11-22 – 2-17-22 Is Regina Bonelli’s “It’s Not My Cross To Bear” Reviewed

It is no exaggeration to claim that to know blues singer Regina Bonelli is to love her, that doesn’t mean on stage where her passion will floor you or on record where that purring growl on her sophomore album remains completely in tact four years later and (the album still tops world wide blue charts). I mean as a person, if she didn’t sing at all, her gentleness, sweet demeanor, and pleasure to be around would have you stanning her. And while it doesn’t help that she is such a great woman, it doesn’t hurt either.

The second song off the Allman Brother’s eponymous debut in 1969 is this one, “It’s Not My Cross To Bear” -written and sung by Greg Allman and with Regina, less of a drawler and more of a getting to the point lead singer, she is matched by legendary guitarist Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton. Hampton doesn’t copy Duane Allman, he bends more than pushes because Hampton is more funk than blues or jazz, it works because it is succinct, he isn’t playing meet the guitar god, he is playing I’m the guitar god.

If you never get the chance to watch producer James Dellatacoma producing, it’s like being mechanically illiterate watching someone work on your car, what he is doing makes no sense and yet after all the cutting and posting is done, vroom vroom. And his work, with Tomas Doncker, is an immaculate step back and let it happen here, the True Groove magic is on full display here.

Yes, you love Regina for who she is and having said that, it doesn’t hurt that she is a titan of blues.

Grade: A