BLUES ANGEL
Y oung and beautiful, with a quiet, trusting nature, Melody Angel is used to being underestimated. That is, until the moment she picks up her guitar and pours out her evocative, powerful vocals. Melody has been carving out a presence on the Chicago music scene since she was a kid, singing on Michigan Avenue, teaching herself to play guitar and playing local jams and open mics. Today at 26-years-old, she’ s
By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Melody Angel
developed into a riveting blues and rock musician, capturing ears and hearts at last year’ s Blues Fest and at weekly Thursday night shows at Rosa’ s Blues Lounge. With the her well-received CD, In This America( One Melody) and fresh from opening for Buddy Guy’ s famous January shows, Melody Angel has managed to prove that you should never underestimate a South Side girl with music in her soul and something to say.
“ I grew up around musicians, in and out of studios, watching them play. All I ever wanted to do was to be a musician,” said Melody of her drive. Her mom sang background for gospel singers and on commercials and did jingles and TV themes( she sang Oprah’ s original TV show intro) and young Melody would sing along with her as she practiced. Singing and affecting people with her expressive vocals was Melody’ s main focus until she hit a turning point at 7- years-old.
“ When I was seven, all the adults were talking and not paying attention while they had“ Purple Rain” on. I watched Prince come out with that white guitar and jump off a piano and I fell in love. I wanted to make that sound. I never stopped asking for a guitar until my mom could afford one. At about 14, she got me one from a pawn shop and I never put it down.“
It’ s clear from the first note of her standout album that Melody rarely lays down her Fender Stratocaster. A self taught musician who relied on YouTube and asking non-stop questions of her mother’ s musician friends, Melody’ s natural talents and quick study skills are showcased on In This America( One Melody), a seven-track collection that delivers blues, rock and socio / political realities in one effective package. The title track, a heart-wrenching stunner, tells a story with acoustic guitar and blues-filled vocals:“ how do I know it’ s safe / to have a son / in this America / I always wanted a son / but now I’ m afraid / how will you see my baby / how will you treat my baby / how will I protect him from you” Even if you don’ t recognize her references to Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, you can not listen to the tune without feeling the anguish and frustration. Like the best blues women, Melody takes the pain and challenges of life and translates them into an art form that connects with anyone who listens.
The slow, formidable blues ballad,“ End Me Now,” recalls classic blues laments of separation and a soldier’ s dance with death and“ Cease Fire” pumps searing rock riffs with blues undertones to a tale of living in the bulletriddled existence of gang warfare.“ My songs have always been a way for me to get the things that have happened to me off my chest, good or bad. My writing process has always been really simple, I hear the words first. The music inspires me and then the words pour out. I think I write so honestly because I have no fear of what anyone will think of my truth,” she said.
Fear doesn’ t seem to figure into Melody Angel’ s makeup, as she’ s been facing down challenges from the time she started performing ten years ago.“ When I was 16, my confidence was up and down because at every rehearsal, the musicians would try to take over. I had to find my voice and step up.” She learned to command her music and the stage, working her way around local open mikes and jams, ignoring the closed circles that she encountered.“ A lot of musicians have not wanted to help me because I’ m a woman. I’ ve had to prove myself wherever I go. I learned to take the positive where I can get it.” One positive came with an invitation to appear on the P Diddy reality TV show“ Starmaker” in 2009. She wowed the judges week after
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18 illinoisentertainer. com february 2017