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CD Reviews Bluesletter Washington Blues Society

CD Reviews  (Bluesletter Oct. 2025)

Jill Newman
Little Bit of Luck

(Self-Released)

Jill Newman’s third album, “Little Bit of Luck,” was recorded at Seattle’s iconic Studio Litho, home to sessions from such local luminaries as Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews. The record delivers nine original roots and blues tunes that highlight Jill’s versatile lead and slide guitar work, soulful vocals, and honest, well-crafted songwriting. The lone cover is a heartfelt rendition of “Love Has No Pride,” which Bonnie Raitt first recorded in 1972. The title track kicks things off with a swing-worthy groove, harmonica riffs, and lyrics that celebrate love over material things. “Lost Without You” offers a catchy hook anyone in a relationship will recognize, while “Lay My Worries Down” brings a funky, optimistic turn with Joe Doria on keys. “Not Gonna Change My Mind” slows things down with a steady rock edge, and “Someone Like You” lands as a heartfelt ballad reminiscent of John Prine. Jill’s playful side shines on “Yellow Dog Shuffle,” a tribute to her pup Lucy, where her guitar work intertwines with some standout keyboard playing by Chris Gestin. The album weaves a tapestry of Jill’s reflections on hardship, isolation, and renewal. Hopeful yet vulnerable, “Little Bit of Luck” resonates with authenticity while showcasing Jill’s guitar chops and the contributions of a stellar backing band featuring Patrick McDanel on bass; Kelly Van Camp on drums, harmonica and backing vocals; Scott Smith on acoustic and rhythm guitar, and a host of guest artists. Jill is currently touring in support of “Little Bit of Luck,” so catch her live if you can, and experience these songs where they truly come alive.

Michele D’Amour McDanel

Georgia Straight review

Jill Newman travels back to a simpler time on Lovestruck Blues

Blame the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. And, while you’re at it, the White Stripes, Black Keys, and every other act that at some point decided the only thing Robert Johnson’s old recordings were missing was a lethal injection of distortion and some serious tub-thumping on the back-end. Somewhere along the line, blues rock fell out of fashion, replaced by blues rawk that sounds more indebted to Led Zeppelin than Leadbelly.

Jill Newman dials back time on Lovestruck Blues, a record that features an unfussy and economical production job that’s retro-sounding without seemingly precious or coldly calculated. The singer has a voice that’s more well-worn country twang than back-alley blues, but that works to her advantage on numbers like the strutting “Too Hard to Handle” and the last-call shuffle “Without You”.

As for the playing, if you’re looking for obnoxious showboating, better to haul that old Stevie Ray Vaughan vinyl out of the crawl space. Newman’s unflashy but solid work always comes down on the right side of tasteful, so close your eyes and cue up the title track and you’re transported to a honky-tonk somewhere deep in Tennessee—the kind of place where there’s sawdust on the floor, cigarette smoke hangs thick in the air, and no one has ever heard of those overamped phonies known as the Soledad Brothers.

Mike Usinger on Twitter at @mikeusinger.

http://www.straight.com/music/653851/jill-newman-travels-back-simpler-time-lovestruck-blues#