Portrait of the Blues

Portrait of the Blues
Studio album by Lou Rawls
Released	1993
Genre	Blues, R&B
Label	Manhattan[1]
Producer	Michael Cuscuna, Billy Vera
Lou Rawls chronology
It's Supposed to be Fun (1990) Portrait of the Blues (1993) Christmas Is the Time (1993)

Portrait of the Blues is an album by the American singer Lou Rawls, released in 1993.[2][3]

The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Albums chart.[4]

Production

The album was produced by Michael Cuscuna and Billy Vera.[5] Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, and Lionel Hampton were among the many musicians who contributed to the album.[6] Rawls sings two Willie Dixon numbers: "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "My Babe".[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[9]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide	[10]
The Philadelphia Inquirer	[11]

Stereo Review deemed the album "a treat," writing that it "benefits from the mellow horn arrangements of Hank Crawford and Benny Golson."[6] The New Pittsburgh Courier thought that "the disc's lightest moment is provided by a charming duet with Phoebe Snow on 'A Lover's Question'."[12] The Houston Chronicle wrote that Rawls "has seldom sounded better, and his urbane phrasing is cut with just the right amount of downhome grit."[13]

The Philadelphia Inquirer declared that "it sounds amazingly retro, a kind of rhythm-and-blues time capsule that's closer to his classic early recordings than anything else in a long time."[11] The Times opined that Rawls's voice "has lost none of its velvet sheen."[14] The Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph called Portrait of the Blues "a contemporary blues masterpiece."[15]

AllMusic wrote that Rawls's "delivery and articulation give the songs an uptown flair."[8]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Just Want to Make Love to You"
2.	"A Lover's Question"
3.	"Person to Person"
4.	"Since I Met You Baby"
5.	"I'm Still in Love with You"
6.	"Snap Your Fingers"
7.	"Baby What You Want Me to Do"
8.	"Suffering with the Blues"
9.	"Hide Nor Hair"
10.	"Chains of Love"
11.	"My Babe"
12.	"I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues"
13.	"Save Your Love for Me"
14.	"Saturday Night Fish Fry"
15.	"Sweet Slumber"

References

1. Norment, Lynn (Apr 1993). "Sounding Off". Ebony. Vol. 48, no. 6. p. 18.
2. Awkward, Michael (May 4, 2007). Soul Covers: Rhythm and Blues Remakes and the Struggle for Artistic Identity (Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Phoebe Snow). Duke University Press. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
3. Appiah, Anthony; Gates (Jr.), Henry Louis (September 20, 2005). Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
4. "Lou Rawls". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
5. "Album reviews — Portrait of the Blues by Lou Rawls". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 11. Mar 13, 1993. p. 107.
6. "Popular music - Portrait of the Blues by Lou Rawls". Stereo Review. Vol. 58, no. 7. Jul 1993. p. 91.
7. Obejas, Achy (19 Mar 1993). "Neo brings back the '80s for another look". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 2.
8. "Portrait of the Blues". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
9. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 787.
10. MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 469.
11. Stark, Karl (16 Mar 1993). "Lou Rawls Portrait of the Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D1.
12. "Soulmeister Lou Rawls Releases New Album with All-Star Cast". New Pittsburgh Courier. No. 18. 3 Mar 1993. p. B1.
13. Mitchell, Rick (March 14, 1993). "Rawls dives back into blues". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 17.
14. Davis, Clive (20 Feb 1993). "Raw live show of deep blues". Features. The Times.
15. Asakawa, Gil (5 Mar 1993). "Sound Advice". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. E3.