by Todd Deery
Deborah Coleman is a double rarity in the male-dominated world of contemporary blues: she's a female lead singer who's not imitating the bellowing &blues mama& persona so familiar to the genre, and she's one hell of a lead guitar player. Featuring Luther Allison's backing band, Where Blue Begins is a smooth blend of Coleman's furious fretwork and pussycat purr of a voice. Coleman's slide shreds up &Goodbye Misery,& while her buoyant licks carry the Texas blues of &Travelin' South.& Even when her lyrics come close to cliché, like on &Beside Myself& and &Hain't It Funny,& she saves the songs with some wicked playing and her Joan Armatrading vocal stylings. This album proves Coleman's not a novelty but a rare talent in a genre that desperately needs some new blood.