NPR : Katrina Makes Marva Wright Sing the Blues

Song of the Day

By Marc Silver

Katrina Makes Marva Wright Sing the Blues

'You Are My Sunshine' by Marva Wright

Marva Wright calls herself "The Blues Queen of New Orleans."

Monday's Pick

Song: "You Are My Sunshine"
Artist: Marva Wright
CD: After the Levees Broke
Genre: Blues

NPR.org, June 18, 2007 · Marva Wright calls herself "The Blues Queen of New Orleans," and she's got plenty to be blue about. Hurricane Katrina wrecked her house, she lost everything she owned, and her hometown was a mess. Wright, who fled the city the day before the storm struck, considered never returning. But in the end, New Orleans pulled her back.

Wright says that she's still so distraught that she can't write songs about what happened, but she sure can sing about it. Her up-and-down relationship with the devastated Big Easy seeps into every track on her new album, After the Levees Broke — even the love songs. When she wraps her raw and gritty voice around "You Are My Sunshine," it's abundantly clear that she's not talking about a guy who makes her happy when skies are gray. She's talking about a city.

Her bittersweet cover exudes Crescent City spirit. Horns pump out a jaunty staccato line that conjures up a street parade. Beloved local pianist Davell Crawford adds plenty of bluesy licks, with a little gospel flavor tossed in for a sanctified undercurrent. A honking sax adds a pinch of old-school R&B.; All the while, the queen's regal delivery puts Mother Nature on notice: Don't you dare take her sunshine away.

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After The Levees Broke

by Marva Wright

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After The Levees Broke
Artist: Marva Wright

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Every weekday, "Song Of The Day" highlights another new or notable song with a short essay and a chance to hear the music itself. Our critics examine their favorites in everything from indie-pop to hip-hop to roots-rock to jazz and beyond -- one song at a time, one discovery per day.