Smokin' in Bed is another hot one from the first lady of raunchy Southern soul,
Denise LaSalle. Bright, sparkling Southern horns accent many cuts, including "Juke Joint Woman," an up-tempo saga about a barfly. The blues never sounded better than on "Blues Party Tonight," which features
B.B. King-inspired guitar licks on top of a laid-back groove, or "Dirty Old Woman," a dated-sounding jump number. At times her sexual tales sound contrived, but she excels on the Southern fried ballads and mid-tempo smokers that dominate the latter half of the album -- "Goin' Through Changes," "Never Been Touch Like This," and "Why Am I Missing You" are pure
LaSalle. ~ Andrew Hamilton