Memphis-based vocalist Karen Wolfe got her start in the mid-90s singing backup for her sister-in-law, the late Denise LaSalle. Encouraged by LaSalle to go out on her own, she released her debut album, First Time Out (B&J), in 2006; it pairs her sweet, supple vocals with the usual synth-heavy southern soul-blues backing—the same sound, more or less, that’s characterized her studio output ever since. But from the beginning Wolfe has made it a point to recruit the finest sidemen available for her live performances, allowing her to spark her shows with an energy and sensual grace that her recordings didn’t always reflect. (Canned-sounding recordings are a common problem for modern southern-soul vocalists, and probably a main reason the genre hasn’t found wider acceptance among mainstream blues fans.)
Karen Wolfe Fri 6/7, 1:45 PM, Juke Joint Stage
