Girl Friends

by Dion

Overview

On his 2020 album Blues with Friends, iconic vocalist Dion DiMucci hit on a formula that worked well for him -- he wrote a fresh batch of solid, blues-based songs, brought in a bunch of well-known and talented friends to help out on each track, and sang with the heart, soul, and authority that's been his calling card since he first found stardom in the mid-'50s. Believing what worked once will probably work again, Dion followed the same template with 2021's Stomping Grounds, and he's given it another try with 2024's Girl Friends. As the title suggests, the twist on this collection is that Dion's special guests are all women, with Susan Tedeschi adding some blues-wailing guitar on "Soul Force," Rory Block providing some sly musical and lyrical byplay on "Don't You Want a Man Like Me," Shemekia Copeland tossing in her favorite terms of endearment on "Mama Said," and Debbie Davies and Christine Ohlman helping to answer the question "Do Ladies Get the Blues." Stylistically, there aren't a lot of surprises on this LP -- Dion and producer Wayne Hood cast their guest stars wisely, giving each a chance to show off what they do best, and while they're in good form, they don't stray far from their skill sets. While Dion shows he's still a strong songwriter and a remarkably gifted singer, even if his instrument is starting to show his age (he was 84 when this was released), this follows the path of the previous two albums closely enough that while it sounds far from rote, it's also pretty much exactly what you would expect. "An American Hero" with Carlene Carter, however, feels like a well-intentioned misfire. Then again, we're truly fortunate that one of America's greatest rock and blues singers is not only still around in his mid-eighties, he's doing good and commendable work in the studio, and he sounds like he's having fun doing it. Girl Friends isn't a great Dion album, but it's certainly a good one, and worth a spin for anyone who digs the Pride of the Bronx. He's still got it, and you can hear it on Girl Friends. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	03/08/2024
Label:	Ktba Records
UPC:	0061297930258

Tracks

1. Soul Force
2. I Aim to Please
3. Stop Drop and Roll
4. Do Ladies Get the Blues
5. An American Hero
6. Don't You Want a Man Like Me
7. Sugar Daddy
8. Endless Highway
9. I Got Wise
10. Hey Suzy
11. Mama Said
12. Just Like That

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dion   Primary Artist
Shemekia Copeland   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Susan Tedeschi   Primary Artist,Guitar,Featured Artist
Christine Ohlman   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Valerie Tyson   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Debbie Davies   Primary Artist,Guitar,Featured Artist
Rory Block   Primary Artist,Vocals,Slide Guitar,Featured Artist
Randi Fishenfeld   Primary Artist,Violin,Featured Artist
Sue Foley   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Joanne Shaw Taylor   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Maggie Rose   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Danielle Nicole   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Carlene Carter   Primary Artist,Vocals,Autoharp,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Emin Huseynov   Violin
Karen Brooks   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Mike Aquilina   Composer
Jeff Hamburg   Production Assistant,Music Coordinator
Irene Leibler   Photography
Don Bonham   Cover Photo
Adam Jablin   Cover Photo
Thomas Cash   Assistant Engineer
Austin Atwood   Engineer
Kit Wood   Photography
Rob Davis   Engineer
Scott "Top Ten" Kempner   Composer
Dion DiMucci   Composer,Producer
Danny Clinch   Photography
Thomas Yearsley   Engineer
Chris Ashburn   Engineer
Vic Steffens   Engineer
Trey Call   Engineer
Bobby Tis   Engineer
Duane Trower   Engineer
Wayne Hood   Engineer,Producer
Kate Moss   Package Design
David McClister   Photography
Sean McCue   Engineer
Roy Weisman   Executive Producer
Mike Flanigin   Producer
Victoria Smith   Photography
Sergio Kurhajec   Photography
Chris Bell   Engineer