The late Dave Van Ronk wrote of JUDY RODERICK "Judy was the first of her generation of blues women, and still one of the best. To this day, her phrasing, tone and above all her originality are unmatched. A very important singer." Her Newport Folk Festival appearance (captured on one of the Evening Concert LPs released on Vanguard/Fontana in the UK) is a stunning set featuring a blistering version of He Was A Friend Of Mine and the audience response was appropriately enthusiastic. As a listen to 1965's WOMAN BLUE confirms, Judy was streets ahead of most of the competition of the day. A long-overdue return to catalogue, the CD is enhanced by four previously unreleased songs - Jelly Roll Lord, Me And My Chauffeur, Mama Keeps Her Man At Home and Long Old Road - dropped originally because of the time limitations of the LP format, not because of any decline in performance quality. Listening again to Someone To Talk My Troubles To, it's easy to surmise that Judy was an influence on the young Joni Mitchell. Certainly in the intricate melodic melancholy of the song is a hint of the Joni circa Urge For Going period. Accompanied by her own guitar and those of Dick Weissman and Artie Traum, Paul Griffin on piano, Ted Sommer on drums and Russ Savakus on bass, Judy Roderick weaves a magic musical spell.
