by Scott Yanow
Shortly before she formed her own Spivey label, veteran classic blues singer Victoria Spivey made a fine duo album (reissued on CD in the Original Blues Classic series) with guitarist/vocalist Lonnie Johnson whom she had last recorded with back in 1929. Spivey, 55 at the time, is also heard playing piano, and she takes four of the ten selections as solo performances. All of the compositions are hers, including &Christmas Without Santa Claus,& &I'm a Red Hot Mama,& &Grow Old Together& and &I Got Men All Over This Town.& Recommended as a strong example of Victoria Spivey's later work.