Track Listing

1. Turn up the Heat
2. I Always Get My Man
3. Salt in My Wounds
4. Cold Feet
5. Suspicion
6. My Turn Baby
7. Ghetto Child
8. Your Mama's Talking
9. Has Anybody Seen My Man?
10. Married to the Blues
11. Big Lovin' Woman
12. My Kind of Guy
13. Have Mercy
14. It Don't Hurt No More

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10691 in Music
• Released on: 1998-05-05
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com's Best of 1998
This debut album from bluesman Johnny Copeland's daughter is a powerful surprise. Powerful, because Shemekia Copeland's voice has the impact of a mature vocalist's despite her youth; a surprise, because it's so rare to hear such a great performance from one so young. Whether it's sassy attitude on the title track, or the subtle power of "Ghetto Child," Copeland is always in control. We'll be hearing a lot more from her in the years to come. --Genevieve Williams

Amazon.com
Despite the growing number of young blues musicians who've come out of the woodwork recently, it's still extremely rare to find even one with the fire and power of previous generations. Shemekia Copeland is that rarity; recorded when Copeland was 18 years old, Turn the Heat Up shows the power and maturity of a much older artist. This maturity is enough to make Copeland's debut exceptional in itself. But if Copeland's singing doesn't quite match, say, Koko Taylor's, she shows a potential in that regard that is almost daunting, especially on the more up-tempo songs such as "Your Mama's Talking." "Has Anybody Seen My Man?" and the title track are excellent examples of Copeland's talent; supported by an excellent backing band, she shines. And unlike many younger artists, she infuses slower songs like "Married to the Blues" and "Ghetto Child" with a raw, no-frills power that leaves no room for sappiness or sentimentality. A very impressive debut from a singer who must be ranked among the genre's finest artists. --Genevieve Williams

Living Blues
Copeland displays an unshakable confidence on the sizzling title track, Big Loving' Woman, and Your Mama's Talking; throughout the simmering soul ballad Salt in My Wounds; and while duking it out with Joe Louis walker on the storming duet My Turn Baby. Shemekia Copeland's promise is as limitless as her talent.

Customer Reviews

Appropriately titled
Imagine my surprise last summer in attending a free bluesfest in Denver and being confronted for the first time by the powerful voice of the teenage Ms. Copeland, who would have ripped the roof off the place, except it was an outdoor concert. "Turn the Heat Up" doesn't quite capture the power of her live show, but it gets pretty close.

Her live show started with "Big Lovin' Woman," which I was happy to see on the CD. It's a big, brassy song with a huge sound: Shemekia relies on an amped-up, electrified blues attack, but not because she's trying to cover up a thin voice. Not by a long shot. In fact, she could probably carry an album on her voice alone. The good news is that in song after song (try "Your Mama's Talkin'" if you have trouble getting started some morning) the album has both: a blockbuster band that has to cook to keep up with its leader.

The album holds up for 14 songs, but for me the set revolves around her rendition of her father Johnny Copeland's moving "Ghetto Child," a neglected classic. It's the kind of slow blues/soul shout that doesn't allow a singer to hide: either the chops are there to bring it off or they're not. Shemekia steps up to the plate and delivers one of the best vocal blues performances I've heard in a long time, doing homage to the music and to her father. When she sings, "This is the part that moves me so much," you believe her.

This is the kind of contribution that is going to keep the blues alive. Hats off to Shemekia and her band. She's young, gifted and we want to hear a lot more from her.

Decent cd, but stop rating the concerts!
Many, if not most of the reviews for this cd should be ignored because the reviewer is commenting only on the concert, not the cd. Please people, wake up! Of course the live show was better - more than any other genre of music, blues needs to be heard live and the studio recordings usually pale in comparison. Let's rate what people are buying, not some personal listening experience that may not correspond to the actual tracks on the album.

This is a decent, even good cd, but still clearly sounds like an album from a young singer. She can belt it out, but not with the real depth of one of the female greats. Many have compared her voice to Etta James, but I don't think that comparison is particularly apt. She probably does sound a bit like Aretha, but just a bit thinner in parts. While blues is undergoing a revival due in some significant part to the growth of the "young guns" such as Shephard, Lang, Curfman, Tedeschi and Copeland, too many people are heaping unearned attributes and success upon these green upstarts and ignoring the older, more seasoned performers who not only inspired the youngsters, but still produce much better music. Let's rate music on its absolute quality, not just on its quality relative to the age of the musician.

If you like the singing of Ms. Copeland, get something, anything, by either Koko Taylor or Katie Webster. These two blues greats are who Shemekia is trying to emulate. Or for something a little grittier and more saucy, get one of Saffire's cd's. Shemekia does a respectable job here, but, as with fishing, if you find something that isn't full grown, toss it back in the river and catch it again in a few years when it has had a chance to mature.

This review needed so much stars!!!!
Only five stars don't represented what this great girl gave to the blues scenery with this masterpiece debut album.We needed much stars! Shemekia honored the bluesblood of your Dad Johnny Copeland,with this amazing album ,plus guests of Joe Louis Walker,and the excellent Michael Hill,with great performances in this cd,that i really recommend to bluesfans as one of essentials we must have,and hear loud times and times! We expected to see a performance of Shemekia at Brazilian stages.At track 12,"My kind of guy" she said that could "took a plane and enjoy a trip to Brazil"!We are waiting this visit,as a promise to all of brazilian fans! To the blues,you're not a promise but really the new "Diva" that we was waiting for!!! We are waiting you at BRAZIL,as soon as you can!