Various Artists, Her Name is New Orleans: Listen to the Women (Independent)

The liner notes explain, “With curves shaped by waters that provide and threaten, she cuddles you in the warmth of her bosom…. She dances with you in the streets… [and] she defines you with history and culture.

Her name is New Orleans.”

Influenced by the love and loss suffered in the city by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, 12 local female vocalists came together to make
Her Name is New Orleans: Listen to the Women, a compilation album that is uplifting, sassy, and soulfully satisfying. From the upbeat, brass-oriented stylings of Charmaine Neville, to the unwavering spiritual from Lady BJ, to the neo-soul spoken word of Sunni Patterson, this album showcases many of the city’s top female vocalists in their best settings. Their individuality and strength sound powerful and necessary after times of crisis.