New Southern Vintage pushes the musical boundaries. Working alongside guest Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and a host of blues icons, and bringing into the mix so much of [Candice Ivory’s] musical traditions—gospel, blues, and soul—this amazing collection is truly inspired, daringly unique, and creatively amazing. Unafraid to stand defiant against the expected, enjoying the risks, staying true to long-held musical traditions, but ushering in a new era of music that reflects so much of herself, Candice gifts listeners with plenty to enjoy. Listeners will certainly marvel at the artistry here: music and songs that leave a lasting impression, caress the heart, grab at the soul, and seduce the mind. Her imagination is limitless and a wonderful gift to all of us. Candice Ivory will be entertaining us for many, many years to come with her incredible, chameleon-like artistry.
—John Muller, Blue Notes and Conversations
When the Levee Breaks took Memphis Minnie’s music to another level and garnered all sorts of publicity for [Candice] Ivory… Invigorated by the album’s success and the fact that people were into something new, Ivory embarked on her next album, New Southern Vintage, and took on the moniker “The Queen of Avant Soul.” New Southern Vintage encompasses a group of musicians from all genres and from all over the world and manages to sound like classic and modern blues at the same time. It includes a few Memphis Minnie songs, along with “I’m in Trouble” by her uncle from the Fieldstones, and a stirring version of the classic “Catfish Blues” featuring [Jimmy “Duck”] Holmes on guitar and vocals.
—Karen Nugent, Blues Music Magazine
This wonderful release by GRAMMY-nominated blues/soul singer Candice Ivory offers not just a deep look into her powerhouse style as a vocalist but also a sense of her versatility. She opens with a song called “Ain’t So Blind,” one of multiple songs on the disc written or co-written by her longtime collaborator, guitarist Robert Allen Parker. The lyrics are cool, her performance is wicked, and there’s the familiar bluesy chunk-chunk-a-chunk rhythm serving as the backbone. It’s one of the album’s best songs. But Ivory also knows how to get sweet, sentimental, and sophisticated. She hits a real groove on songs such as “Let Your Love Shine On” and “Look Away.” The final piece on this 14-song set is a real invigorating boogie-woogie romp called “Shout the Boogie,” a beautiful, modern update and highly respectful remake of a popular song written by one of the blues greats of yesteryear, Memphis Minnie.
—Tom Hendy, Toledo Blade
This new release is simply captivating in terms of thematic content, rhythm, and diversity. It wonderfully connects contemporary and vintage sounds… The album itself is divided into two thematically different sessions. The first eight tracks represent effective modern blues, with Candice’s basic accompaniment provided by the Blue Bloods…. The second half of the album, with a total of six tracks, then immerses itself in the historical elements of the blues and creates a great contrast to the first part of the album without breaking the musical continuum. The album seamlessly integrates into a beautiful whole and remains faithful to the deepest essence of blues music. Throughout the entire album, Candice Ivory’s twisting, sexy vocals are a clear red thread that listeners faithfully follow. Candice seems to be a diva in a very authentic way…. For me, Candice Ivory’s new album has earned more praise than [any other disc] in the current year of blues.
—Pertti Nurmi, Blues News
Two years after the superb When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie…(number 1 on my Top 10 albums of 2023), Candice confirms with this new album that she is indeed one of the best blues singers working today. The album features thirteen songs and a short, 36-second musing about tradition by Andy Cohen. This is, in fact, one of the strengths of this characterful record: offering a contemporary music with modern sounds while highlighting the richness of the traditions that nourish it. There are seven original compositions written or co-written by Candice and her guitarist Robert Allen Parker, a member of the Blue Bloods along with Adam Hill (guitar), Khari Wynn (bass), and Donnon R. Johnson (drums). She also collaborates with several guest musicians… who contribute to the album’s variety and originality.
—Daniel Léon, Culture Blues
Missouri powerhouse Candice Ivory’s New Southern Vintage is exactly that. The Queen of Avant Soul, as she’s called, released “Catfish Blues” first. It’s from 1941. Her direct inspiration comes from Memphis Minnie (1897-1973), from whom she covers two songs. And she’s got help. Mississippi legend Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and Public Enemy’s Khari Wynn add guitar. Yella P blows harp. Ben Levin tickles the ivories. This thing burns with intensity.
—Mike Greenblatt, The Aquarian
Candice Ivory once again proves her power as a blues singer with New Southern Vintage. With versatile songs, powerful vocals, and rich musical accompaniment, she delivers an impressive album that both honors tradition and confirms her status as a powerhouse…. New Southern Vintage is the follow-up to her tribute to Memphis Minnie’s work, When The Levee Breaks, which debuted a good two years ago. Even then, this woman impressed with her talent for using her vocals to make everything she focuses on her own…. Candice Ivory, along with a host of renowned guests, young talent, and the Blue Bloods, has once again delivered a fantastic album, further cementing her powerhouse status and adding a bold exclamation point. New Southern Vintage is a more than successful tribute to the roots of the blues.
—Jan Wolf, Blues Magazine
Things kick into high gear right away with “Ain’t So Blind” with its incessant John Lee Hooker style boogie groove and do not slow down until six songs later when the atmospheric “Let Your Love Shine On” and the soulful ballad “Look Away” give you a chance to catch your breath. In between, Candice Ivory and crew lay down a swampy groove on “Foolish Pleasure” and rock hard on “Lookin’ for My Baby.” “Catfish Blues” cements the change from the faster pace of the first half of the disc to old-school acoustic blues featuring Jimmy “Duck” Holmes on vocals and guitar with Ivory adding deep background vocals. The old school vibe continues with “Corrina,” “Crown Royal Bag Blues” and a pair of Memphis Minnie covers, “World of Trouble” and “Shout the Boogie,” the latter of which kicks things into high gear again with Ben Levin’s rollicking piano leading the charge to finish the disc.
—Mark Smith, Capital Area Blues Society
Candice Ivory is a singer endowed with a great expressiveness who, deeply rooted [in a] solid blues basis, dares to develop hypnotic, wrapping songs full of diverse and attractive textures that drive us to the landscapes of [the] USA deep south. The album gathers fourteen songs that will allow listeners to appreciate the wide range of her vocal tones, together with the influences of artists like Memphis Minnie [, to whom] she pays tribute with two songs, “World Of Trouble” and “Shout The Boogie,” or her uncle Will Roy Sanders, leader of The Fieldstones, in the song “I’m In Trouble.” The album also features the special collaboration of Jimmy “Duck” Holmes on guitar, David Evans, and Andrew Cohen, as well as the young blues musicians that form her band and other [newer figures] like Jan Hartmann, Antonio Vergara, Takuto Asano and Yubu Kazungu.
—Vicente Zúmel, La hora del blues
It’s hard to fathom how Candice Ivory managed to gather such a diverse genre of musicians, including internationals, to create an album that’s an amazing combination of classic and modern blues sounds. But she did. The title of the 14-track disc says it best: It’s vintage and it’s fresh. Memphis-born Ivory pays tribute to iconic Southern folk and blues, taking inspiration from Memphis Minnie, along with Memphis and Mississippi blues sounds from the ’70s and ’80s. Her great uncle, Will Roy Sanders, fronted the Memphis blues band The Fieldstones, and wrote “I’m In Trouble” on this record. The record features a few living legends, including Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, of Bentonia, MS, and blues guitar fame, and blues folk luminaries David Evans and Andrew Cohen…. But it also includes some young artists from other musical genres, such as Public Enemy’s Khari Wynn and international favorites like Jan Hartmann who is great on harp throughout the album.
—Karen Nugent, Blues Music Magazine
Ms. Ivory’s roots are in Memphis, physical and musical. She had family who sang gospel and blues (her great-uncle Will Roy Sanders was a member of The Fieldstones), and she had a residency in Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead at the age of 18, recorded her first album at 21, and is equally skilled in blues and jazz. Her 2023 tribute to Memphis Minnie’s music was one of that year’s best efforts, and just blew me away upon hearing it. Well, her newest release also blew me away. She works in a variety of blues styles on this new album, moving from traditional to contemporary blues, Mississippi Hill Country, piano blues, and Delta blues.. Contributors include Ivory’s Memphis-based band the Blue Bloods, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Ben Levin, Damian “Yella P” Pearson, and Chris Stephenson, with several international artists as well. However, it’s Ms. Ivory’s show and her vocals are a marvel throughout.
—Graham Clarke, Friday Blues Fix
Candice Ivory is an American singer, songwriter, and producer from St. Louis, aptly nicknamed the Queen Of Avant Soul. Coming from a prestigious musical lineage, she is the great-niece of Will Roy Sanders, a founding member of the Memphis band The Fieldstones, which deeply roots her art in the Southern blues tradition. Her artistic journey is marked by a desire to reconcile the roots of the blues with a contemporary and bold vision…. Candice Ivory is also a painter, and her musical approach reflects this visual sensibility; each track is a sonic canvas, each album an emotional exhibition. In 2025, she… released her fifth album, New Southern Vintage, which she produced herself, striving to shake up the codes of the blues while honoring them. Through this fifth opus, the singer offers us a bold musical journey, rooted in the Deep South but resolutely turned towards the future…. The arrangements are chiseled, sometimes rough, often surprising…. Each track is a piece of an emotional puzzle, an exploration of what the blues can be when freed from its constraints. A record for curious ears, unruly hearts, and minds searching for musical truth!
—Fred Delforge, ZicaZic
Born outside of Memphis, Tennessee, Candice Ivory soaked up the musical traditions of the South through her family. Gospel and the Blues were integral pieces of her process, as can be heard on her recent release, New Southern Vintage. She sinks low into steamy grooves when she offers thanks in “Let Your Love Shine On,” confessing “I’m in Trouble” on a stomping Blues beat. Opening the album with a blast of electric guitar, Candice Ivory draws the line in love with “Ain’t So Blind” before hopping on board a caffeinated rhythm in “Lookin’ for My Baby.” New Southern Vintage introduces “Strong Black Mattie” and proudly claims heritage in “Blue Blood” while Candice Ivory finds herself in a “World of Trouble” on a piano boogie and welcomes in Jimmy “Duck” Holmes for the Blue groove in “Catfish Blues” before exiting the album raising her voice to “Shout the Boogie.”
—Danny McCloskey, Breaking Thru
New Southern Vintage, the latest album from St.-Louis based singer-songwriter-producer Candice Ivory, is quite an incredible recording. The original tracks written by her and guitarist Robert Allen Parker are strong and riveting. Dubbed the Queen of Avant Soul, Ivory certainly has made quite the impression…with her silky, soulful vocals…. With every listen to Candice Ivory’s New Southern Vintage, I find something new and exciting that catches my attention. The record is a gem with many facets.
—Phillip Smith, PhillyCheeze’s Rock & Blues Reviews
A 2025 Blues Music Awards nominee, Queen of Avant Soul Candice Ivory is both the niece of Memphis blues giant Will Roy Sanders (The Fieldstones) and a master of her craft, keeping one foot in the past and the other in the future in whatever she does. She knocks it out of the box with this mix of seven originals and seven covers, all of which maintain a classic feel but feel brand new, too.
—Marty Gunther, Chicago Blues Guide
GRAMMY-nominated blues songstress Candice Ivory’s New Southern Vintage takes listeners on a marvelous trip through the richest corners of blues music, her soulful soprano used in the service of more than a dozen outstanding tracks that celebrate the American genre in spades. Fans of traditional and modern blues will be immersed in Ivory’s artful approach when showcasing her own material as well as other material featured on the title. Her dynamic vocals are particularly powerful on the blistering opener “Ain’t So Blind,” the spirited take on Joe Hicks’s “I’m In Trouble” (the latter featuring the amazing harmonica of Jan Hartmann), the soulful “Look Away,” the hypnotic “Catfish Blues” that finds Ivory sharing lead vocals with Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, the tradition-steeped “Corrina,” and superlative versions of Memphis Minnie’s “World of Trouble” and “Shout the Boogie.”
—Robert Kinsler, Rock ‘n’ Roll Truth
Candice’s last album was a tribute to Memphis Minnie, and this one is…a celebration of blues inspired by the American South…. [New Southern Vintage] has lots of variety from the many guests, with the international artists giving different colors than you would normally expect. Candice’s voice is strong throughout, as always Ben Levin’s piano playing is excellent.
—Graham Harrison, Blues in the South
Nothing like a little fire and brimstone blues to get your mojo workin’. New Southern
Vintage, the latest from GRAMMY-nominated rising star Candice Ivory, bristles with energy and intent…. Though their styles are different, the energy of Ivory’s approach to these songs has me thinking of Shemekia Copeland in terms of the raw audacity with which she handles these songs. Recorded in Ecuador and Memphis and produced by Candice herself, New Southern Vintage has an exuberant energy that really captures the imagination…. She is one of the most powerful voices in the blues, and this album absolutely cannot be ignored—great, great stuff.
—John Kereiff, Gonzo Okanagan
Generating emotion is no ordinary skill. Memphis native and St. Louis resident blueswoman Candice Ivory succeeds in doing just that with New Southern Vintage (Nola Blue Records). The album features fourteen tracks, featuring Ivory with the Blue Bloods trio, as well as some excellent guests like Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Damian “Yella P” Pearson, and Ben Levin. The leader has a powerful and expressive voice and moves between soul blues, traditional blues, and some contemporary passages. She makes the difference on “Catfish Blues,” “Crown Royal Bag Blues,” and “Strong Black Mattie.”
—Gianluca Diana, Il Manifesto
They call Candice Ivory the Queen of Avant Soul. To be more specific, Candice is the voice of contemporary soul—a genre that, back in the 1960s, opened a new window for revolutionizing African American music with one-of-a-kind artists and a groundbreaking style. Labels like Motown, Stax, and Atlantic gave the world a sound that changed the course of black music history forever. Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, and Wilson Pickett lit the spark that even today, after countless fertile and innovative evolutions, continues to keep the fire alive, sixty years later. Born in the blues-rich city of Memphis, Candice Ivory established herself as a singular voice across her first three albums, each filled with boldness and creative risk. In her fourth album, she invited audiences to pay attention to Memphis Minnie, an essential blues singer… Her latest album, New Southern Vintage, confirms the level of excellence this artist has achieved. The soul and blues of Candice Ivory are one of the truest reflections of roots music in the 21st century. These fourteen songs express modernity and clearly demonstrate that, with talent and passion, an artist can evoke new sensations through musical genres as powerful as they have always been. With this woman, we have a truly priceless treasure.
—Carles Gatell, Blues21
Candice Ivory has been known as the Queen of Avant Soul and has frequently recorded jazz-driven original songs. Her first foray into the blues was the award-winning When The Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie, one of the best and most intriguing albums of 2024. Was that trip into her blues roots a one-time thing? That was the big question as to what would be next for Ms. Ivory. She just gave us a definitive answer with the recent release of the diverse and rootsy New Southern Vintage (Nola Blue Records), with examples of multiple styles of early blues brought into the 21st century that fit the format. The result is an outstanding album that traverses across many of the roots of the blues, all with Ms. Ivory’s spectacular vocals.
—Bill Mitchell, Blues Bytes
Candice Ivory made a thunderous entrance onto the blues scene in 2023 with the release of When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie… This collection sees her once again celebrating Southern heritage, under the aegis of New Southern Vintage, an approach she has carefully conceptualized, seamlessly combining tradition and modernity… performed by a cosmopolitan orchestra featuring pianist Ben Levin, guitarist-composer Robert Allen Parker, and guests as diverse as Mississippi veteran Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, musicologists David Evans and Andrew Cohen, and Khari Wynn of… Public Enemy! The repertoire (8 originals and 6 covers, including 2 by Memphis Minnie and one by her great-uncle Will Roy Sanders) and the orchestration (from stripped-down folk to electric blues rock) go off in all directions, but the result never sounds artificial or forced. Several pieces even generate a real thrill.
—Ulrick Parfum, Soul Bag
From the first notes of Candice Ivory’s New Southern Vintage, it’s obvious she’s no shrinking violet. She’s in your face and unabashed, reminiscent of a young Tina Turner…. Ivory’s interest in the blues is heartfelt, and her last album was a Memphis Minnie tribute called When the Levee Breaks. But New Southern Vintage is not a tribute album. [It’s] a collection of good songs with a blend of influences from soul blues to blues rock. It features 8 originals by Ivory and/or her songwriting partner Robert Allen Parker. Some of the highlights include Ivory and Parker’s “Ain’t So Blind,” Ivory’s “Blue Blood,” Joe Henry Hicks’ “I’m In Trouble,” Parker’s “Let Your Love Shine On,” Robert Petway’s “Catfish Blues” (sung by Mississippi bluesman and juke joint proprietor Jimmy “Duck” Holmes), Ernest Lawlars’s “World of Trouble,” and Memphis Minnie’s “Shout the Boogie.”
—Bill Wilcox, Twangville
Candice Ivory, who was born in Tennessee and now resides in St. Louis, Missouri, is a singer and songwriter working in the blues realm. Her new album, New Southern Vintage, is a celebration of southern blues music…. It is Candice’s passionate vocal delivery that drives this [recording] and makes it something special.
—Michael Doherty, Michael Doherty’s Music Log
New Southern Vintage, the title of Candice Ivory’s magnificently ambitious new album, is the perfect description of its contents—and its soul. Ivory, dubbed the Queen of Avant Soul, has pulled together a band of splendid musicians to explore new and traditional blues themes, adding her own vocal passion to this heady blend…. The “new” part of the album—its first eight original songs—focuses on an eclectic mix of electric blues styles featuring the Blue Bloods plus guests. While the new material is often drawn from deep blue roots, Ivory and her mates add freshness and vitality to their spirit. The last five tracks shift the energy more to the “vintage” roots of the blues, with an emphasis on acoustic material, primarily featuring guest artists behind Ivory’s always stunning vocals—the musical glue for the entire album.
—Jim White, Blues Roadhouse
New Southern Vintage is an excellent album from Candice Ivory. As its prime mover vocally, and as its producer, she dives deep into the history of the blues while urging it into the future, all while emphasizing the worldwide appeal of this classic American music. It demands the attention, and the enjoyment, of deep blues lovers everywhere.
—Jim White, Blues Roadhouse
Candice Ivory‘s new album, New Southern Vintage, …[is] a celebration of the blues from an artist who respects them enough to share her own unique take on them. These blues, described by Ms. Ivory as an exploration of the “iconic folk form as well as the heroines and heroes who created it” is an offering of love and truth. It’s also a whole lot of fun to listen to. Candice Ivory delivers a distinctive personal take on the Southern roots genre. Her ‘new southern vintage’ concept, developed over the past year, is a welcome and fresh perspective. It results in an ambitious album that achieves on every level…. Therefore, do your ears, heart, and soul a favor and get a copy. It’s a journey of discovery, re-discovery, and affirmation that only the blues can offer.
—Greg Victor, ParcBench
[Candice] Ivory’s previous album, When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie, garnered global acclaim… The same story continues here. The excellent and inspired Candice Ivory will leave you speechless—with her content, impressive performance and beautiful vocals that adorn all the songs from the album New Southern Vintage.
—Mladen Lončar, PopRock
These 51 minutes are a powerful musical document that will clearly show everyone why blues is a music that leaves no one indifferent. Namely, blues has a strong resonance with all those who listen to and love it. It’s no secret that as soon as you listen to this album, you will quickly understand where the “wind is blowing” and how the famous crossroads is actually a place where jazz, blues, gospel and R&B meet, permeate, and impressively blend.
—Mladen Lončar, PopRock
The excellent and inspired Candice Ivory will leave you speechless—with her impressive performance and beautiful vocals that adorn all the songs from the album New Southern Vintage…. These 51 minutes are a powerful musical document that will clearly show everyone why blues is a music that leaves no one indifferent. Namely, blues has a strong resonance with all those who listen to and love it. It’s no secret that as soon as you listen to this album, you will quickly understand where the “wind is blowing” and how the famous crossroads is actually a place where jazz, blues, gospel and R&B meet, permeate, and impressively blend. Sometimes all of this comes together and moves in one direction, and only then do we actually realize how simple and complex, emotional and powerful, dark and radiant music is at the same time. Only then do we realize that it is truly a universal language, understood by all those who want to understand it and—more importantly—feel it. And it is precisely the feeling that is key. You don’t need to be a great connoisseur; if you feel what you hear, you won’t have any problems—that language will become yours, and you will simply enjoy it all to the fullest.
—Mladen Lončar, PopRock
New Southern Vintage [is] ingeniously split into two parts. The first eight original songs feature Ivory’s band The Blue Bloods augmented by several guests. Those songs spotlight her “new” way with the blues. The last five, played by a completely different group of musicians, place the focus on the “vintage.” Ivory and every player present make big impressions all the way through New Southern Vintage…. Ivory herself is at her heavenly best on “Corrina,” a blues standard credited to Clyde Maxwell and famously recorded by Alan Lomax at Maxwell’s farm in 1978. She recites the song appropriately, with just [Ben] Levin, and light guitar accompaniment by David Evans. With that one song, she demonstrates a unique command of conveying the real blues with class. But taken together, each half of New Southern Vintage totals an entire album full of inspiring Candice Ivory presentations.
— Tom Clarke, Making a Scene
What starts as typical blues morphs into a marvelously mystical blues trajectory. The blues guitars, chords, harmonica & drums drive are evident, but when St. Louis, Missouri’s Candice Ivory starts singing, the barometer changes. Her creativity settles between the pores; the skin prickles & the GRAMMY-nominated blues/soul vocalist puts both oars in the water & takes her audience to another side of the blues’ shore…. Slinky & seductive, this is just a human voice, right? What am I saying? I’m saying this is a lesson in how to interpret good lyrics when it’s pinned to the drapery of a marvelous blues melody. It’s an original approach to a vintage genre. Candice does it. What’s old is new again.
— John Apice, Americana Highways
Candice Ivory, “The Queen of Avant Soul,” may have already become blues music’s latest ambassador, with just her fifth album and debut for Nola Blue, the self-produced New Southern Vintage…. Ivory, who lives in St. Louis, is a descendant of blues royalty. Her great-uncle Will Roy Sanders fronted one of Memphis’s historic bands, the Fieldstones. You can say that blues is in her DNA. She is proud of that and insists that though blues originated in the South, it’s now embraced globally. To that end, she invites an intergenerational cast to join her on this expansive, “big umbrella” effort, which, even with some other genres considered, never strays far from traditional blues…. Ivory leaves no doubt she understands the blues tradition. Blues couldn’t have a finer ambassador.
— Jim Hynes, Rock & Blues Muse
When it comes to true-blue, down-in-the-alley female soul singers, there isn’t anyone quite like Candice Ivory today. This is someone who realizes just how global her music is, and isn’t averse to casting a wide net to bring in listeners far and wide…. After her last album of Memphis Minnie’s music, Candice Ivory has really ripped the lid off and gone for the gusto. This is seriously serious music that looks at life as a long proposition, and walks fearlessly into the future. Her burning band is with her all the way, and doesn’t think twice about cranking up the tempo and going for broke. That’s what the gig is. With a voice that can keep up with anything, Candice Ivory is ready for any audience or location. The blues became universal music in the past 75 years, and there is no stopping it now. Watch this woman take it forward.
— Bill Bentley, Americana Highways
GRAMMY-nominated blues and soul singer Candice Ivory has released a new album titled New Southern Vintage, a fourteen-song mix of contemporary and traditional blues and soul styling. The album is a homage to the worldwide music that the blues have become.
— Bob Sylvestri, Best of Western New York
Dynamic vocalist and performer Candice Ivory, the “Queen of Avant Soul,” shines bright on her new album, New Southern Vintage. This is an album that should be played loud and often, for Ivory’s emotionally drenched vocals deeply permeate our bodies and souls, driving us to get on our feet and move to these songs…. Every song on New Southern Vintage is a gem and showcases Candice Ivory’s deep love for the blues and her ability to dwell in the music and shape every song she sings. She’s a powerhouse singer who turns every performance into gold.
— Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Living Blues
Candice is perfect here, on [New Southern Vintage]…. this one is a necessity.
— John Hammer, Blue Monday Monthly
Candice Ivory’s newest release is nothing short of a masterclass in modern blues storytelling, both reverent to tradition and emphatically forward-looking. The album is self-produced by Ivory, whose artistic confidence and layered vision are palpable across every track…. Ivory establishes a voice that is rich in history yet nimble in execution…. Her own compositions, like “Strong Black Mattie,” reveal her as a compelling storyteller and skilled composer. It’s this blend of ancestral roots, collaborative brilliance, and visionary execution that makes this release feel like both a deep bow to tradition and an unflinching look ahead. This is a powerful statement of identity and innovation, highly recommended.
— Colin Campbell, Blues Matters
Candice Ivory has that “certain something” …. her music embodies the pure, unadulterated American South. For the follow-up to her award-winning, strongly modernist 2023 album When The Levee Breaks, the Memphis-born singer took the producer’s chair herself. In doing so, she has succeeded in giving New Southern Vintage a down-to-earth touch that remains true to its roots without sounding old-fashioned in the slightest. Candice Ivory’s “certain something” lies in having grown up surrounded by the rich cornucopia of black music, having internalized it, and being able to live it out and express it in a fascinating way. Candice and her crew—led by Robert Allen Parker and Ben Levin—show what the blues is still capable of today.
— Marco Piazzalonga, JAZZ’N’MORE
[Candice Ivory’s New Southern Vintage] drives home the universality of the music with the various international artists she brings to the album, the young performers who are adding their music to the genre and the older blues stars still alive and pursuing their own love of the music. And of course, Candice must be recognized for her glorious vocals and the great mixtures of originals and selected covers she brings to show that time does not alter the music and blends well in a new modern showcase.
— John Sacksteder, Blues Blast Magazine
Candice Ivory and cohorts check all the boxes here, delivering strong on a set steeped to perfection in deep-blues mojo. The St. Louis-based vocalist conjures convincingly through a song list highlighted by roots-savvy and lyrically engaging originals. Standouts include “Ain’t So Blind,” “Blue Blood,” and “Strong Black Mattie.” Pianist Ben Levin contributes in large measure to the congenial juke-joint atmosphere of this set.
— Duane Verh, Roots Music Report
Candice Ivory, the Queen of Avant Soul, …. is evolving in the tradition of the greatest Afro-American blues and boogie singers …. with her timeless and captivating voice, tinged with gospel and full of soul, a rare energy, an impressive stage presence, and an overflowing charisma. …. Given her meteoric rise across the Atlantic and her first concerts in Europe, she is likely the rising star of Afro-American music (based in St. Louis, Missouri) whom we must follow very closely.
— Philippe Prétet, Il Blues
GRAMMY-nominated blues-soul singer Candice Ivory brings a fresh, hypnotic groove to the classic blues standard “Catfish Blues.” Reimagined with a rhythmic sway and anchored by rich piano trills, soulful harmonica, and expressive vocals from both Ivory and Holmes, the track is raw, gritty, and emotionally immediate it grabs you from the first note. This is far from the original version; it’s a bold reinterpretation. Ivory showcases her versatility by transforming the song into something entirely her own, with standout performances by Ben Levin on piano, Damion “Yella P” Pearson on harmonica, and Holmes on understated guitar.
— Keys and Chords
