by Chris Fuqua, Music Writer
“Hearts Are Wild is a record that seduces the listener with uncommon passion . . . blues and roots singer, guitarist and songwriter Debbie Bond embodies her music with pure authenticity . . . ”.
Dave Rubin, Music reviewer, 2005 KBA recipient in Journalism With Hearts Are Wild, Debbie Bond has turned a professional corner to concentrate on her own music. Having worked with dozens of top musicians over the years -- from Little Jimmy Reed and Johnny Shines to Jerry Boogie McCain and many others -- Debbie’s established herself as a top-notch blues vocalist and guitarist while also heading the Alabama Blues Project, an entity that she co-founded to provide music education to the children of Alabama through workshops, blues camps, and in-school residencies. As I wrote about the Los Angeles native in the introduction to my book, Alabama Musicians: Musical Heritage from the Heart of Dixie, “[If] any nonnative artist deserves inclusion [in this book], it’s Debbie for her relentless promotion of Alabama music and musicians through the Alabama Blues Project’s educational programs, concerts, and CD releases.” Reviewers usually compare an artist to others who’ve come before, and I could do that as well, but it would be a disservice to the listener. In the CD’s twelve songs, Debbie demonstrates a vast array of musical interests and influences. Debbie has developed a personal sound that immediately grabs the listener and doesn’t let go until the last note fades to silence. Hearts Are Wild is a wonderful CD that features a variety of styles and themes, from the lyrical exploration of addiction in “Nothing but the Blues,” to the funky, double entendre song about cooking, “I Like It Like That,” to the soulful love ballad, “Falling,” to my favorite, the rocking “My Time,” a satirically funny indictment of our narcissistic love affair with social networks. Backed on Hearts Are Wild by Rick Asherson, James “Mr. B.” Brown, Brad Guin, Chad Fisher, Dave Crenshaw, Brice Miller, and Rob Alley, Debbie delivers ten original songs (cowritten with Asherson) and two covers that fully establish her as an original artist whose talent has become the standard to which comparisons are made.
Music Writer, Chris Fuqua “Alabama Musicians: Musical Heritage from the Heart of Dixie,” Debbie Bond is a fixture in the contemporary Alabama blues scene, and this new CD only cements her stellar reputation while pushing the genre itself to soaring heights. The talent on guitar, keyboards, and other instruments is amazing, and Debbie’s voice manages to be sultry, sexy and wise all at once--it’s as if Adele grew up, and grew up steeped in a fine Southern tradition of musicianship. This CD will make you laugh, cry, shout along and stomp your feet--and most of all, it will make you move. For a taste of new blues with as much soul as it has heart, get this CD right away--your collection is bereft without it. Amber Qureshi