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
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