Sue Leonard is a Canadian singer and writer of songs who works in a more blues and R&B sort of style than many other original songwriters. Her latest recording, Bend, is a great example of her voice and vision. The album remains true to the roots of blues music in its vibe and feel, but is not at all a revivalist sort of scene in any way. Leonard’s music is dark and smoky in tone and is instantly inviting to the listener. In addition to being a fine solo artist, Leonard has worked as a background singer with major stars like Jon Bon Jovi and KD Lang and she has shared the stage with Bruce Willis’ band The Accelerators. Sue Leonard has also appeared on the Grammy Awards, the Juno Awards, Late Night with Jay Leno, MTV Unplugged and the Johnny Carson Show. Listening to her album, it is easy to see why her services are so in-demand with people who have the opportunity to hire anyone that they want. She packs a vocal sound and feel that makes sense the first time you hear it and, once you have heard it, how could you get anyone else?

Once you get past Leonard’s voice, the songs become the star of this particular show. The opening cut, “Nickel,” is a cool original blues song about money and hard times and one to which we can all relate. She sings about tough times, but without losing the message of hope for a better day that is at the core of the blues. Other standout cuts include “I Believe,” “No More,” and “Alive.” With each song that plays, one gets pulled deeper and deeper into Leonard’s world of rhythm and rhyme without really caring if you ever return to the outside world. Blues-related music is often treated as a thing from the past to be preserved and not tampered with, which is too bad because an artist like Sue Leonard could add a lot to that scene if more fans could see and hear what excellent work she is doing right now in these modern times.