Search - Jo Armstead :: Stone Good Lover

A Stone Good Singer

Malridge Mace, IV | New York, NY United States | 11/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yazoo City native Josephine Armstead, aka Joshie Jo Armstead, was one of the first examples of the multi-faceted artist, before such a thing became the norm and not the exception. A talented writer, who with Ashford & Simpson co-wrote Ray Charles' number one R&B hit "Let's Get Stoned" Ms. Armstead was also the consummate performer and producer, having performed as an Ikette (go check out "I'm Blue (The Gong Song)") before venturing into solo duties. She more than adequately handled that role too, as evidenced on her hits "A Stone Good Lover;" "I've Been Turned On;" and "I Feel An Urge Coming On" -- all included here as well as many choice cuts during her all too brief association with Stax affiliated Gospel Truth Records.
That Ms. Armstead was raised in the church is more than evident by her vocal style; the singer utilizes her gospel-honed vocals to maximum effect. Indeed, her vocal range is quite wide, and reminds this listener of a cross between Margie Joseph and Bettye Lavette, two other excellent but overlooked deep soul singers.
Besides the aforementioned cuts, favorite songs on this cd are "Won't You Join The Band" and "Stumbling Blocks (Stepping Stones)" which was also a minor chart hit in the early 70's. That this single did not do well is criminal; the passion Ms. Armstead delivers on this song alone is worth the price of admission. My only complaint about the cd is the less than ideal sound quality. It's a bit brassy at times, as if the producers attempted to overcompensate poor quality tape masters by boosting the treble a bit too much. But don't let that stop you from discovering a truly gifted artist who is deserving of a much broader audience. For making this music available to the public on cd, I'd have to give two thumbs up to the producers."