Album Notes

Here's what reviewers have said about Sheryl Warner and the Southside Homewreckers and their new CD "Lucky Oil on My Hand":

"One of the most expressive and powerful voices in blues today. . . . When Warner sings Sippie Wallace's 'Woman Be Wise' or Ida Cox's 'Wild Women Don't Have the Blues,' you are sure she knows what she's singing about." - Dirty Linen: The Magazine of Folk and World Music

"Anyone who appreciates acoustic blues played and sung well ought to check out 'Lucky Oil on My Hand'. . . . Warner has a clear, authoritative voice and a dynamic but nicely unaffected style that works as well on 'Trouble in Mind' as on Blind Blake's 'Chump Man Blues.' Excellent accompaniment helps; Rick Manson's supportive harp steps out front on 'Sonny's Blues' and winds through other songs, and guitarist Gregg Kimball picks out songs from Delta, Piedmont, and Chicago traditions." - Blues Revue

"Warner's strong voice is crystal clear in the high registers and earthy when she dips down to deliver the punch lines of Kid Bailey's lovely 'Rowdy Blues,' trailing off like an outbound train rounding a bend." - Blues Access

"Sheryl Warner and the Southside Homewreckers do not compromise one note nor one lyric . . . as they display their obvious respect for the original artists while putting their own clear mark on their work." - Delta Snake Daily Blues-online

"They perform in a manner true to the spirit of the originals but go beyond simply recreating the original recordings . . . in summary an excellent disc of heartfelt blues performances that lovers of traditional blues should check up on." - DC Blues Society Newsletter

"Just a small listen to the opening track 'Chump Man Blues' clues you in on the enormous talent this young lady has. Dynamic, soulful, true to style, emotive, the list of superlatives could go on. Just listen to Big Bill Broonzy's "When I Been Drinking" and you can smell the next morning whiskey on her breath . . . . Rick offers the original 'Sonny's Blues' which showcases his dexterity on the harp. . . . Do not play this CD for background music to work by, you will not get anything done." - River City Blues Society newsletter.

Who We Are

Vocalist Sheryl Warner, guitarist Gregg Kimball, and harmonica player Rick Manson deliver a wide variety of acoustic blues music. The trio, based in Richmond, Virginia, took first place in the James River Blues Society's 2000 blues competition, and has appeared twice in the Blues Foundation's Internation Blues Challenge. From the jazz-inflected music of the classic blueswomen to the down-home sounds of the country songsters, Sheryl Warner and the Southside Homewreckers draw on the rich musical legacy of early blues to create a unique and varied sound.
Their new CD "Lucky Oil on My Hand," includes 13 songs from across the blues spectrum.

Sheryl Warner was one of the first few women to attend the Virginia Commonwealth University Jazz Studies Program. Her rich, expressive voice has developed over twenty years of singing in the blues tradition. Sheryl draws on the extensive repertoire of early women singers, including classic and country blues standards and songs from the traveling-show traditions. She brings her own unique style to the music of blueswomen such as Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie, and reinterprets the lyrics, while retaining the spirit, of the great bluesmen. Sheryl was a longtime performer at Richmond's Crossroads Coffeehouse and also appears live and on several recordings by a veteran group of Richmond-area folk musicians know as "Among Friends."

Gregg Kimball plays six-string, twelve-string, and National steel guitars. His fluency in a wide range of early blues styles makes him a perfect complement to Sheryl and Rick. Gregg's interest in the blues comes from his research and writing in African-American and Southern history and life.
Currently a historian with the Library of Virginia, he previously developed three NEH-funded exhibitions on African-American history at Richmond's city museum, the Valentine, and he frequently organizes programs to accompany musical performances. He is currently working with the James River Blues Society on a brochure and a series of state historical markers honoring early Virginia bluesmen. A marker to Lynchburg's Luke Jordan was dedicated in 2001.

Rick Manson has been playing harmonica for more than twenty years. He was a student and protégé of Richmond and New York blues legend Nat Riddles. Rick has played with several area bands, including the Detonators, the Smokin' Section, and the Brian Doherty Trio. His influences range from Little Walter to Charlie McCoy to Sonny Terry.