Sugar Pie DeSanto "Down In The Basement" (Chess-MCA, 1989)------------------------------------------------------------------This is a sizzling set of stunning R&B from one of Oakland's finest soul singers, Sugar Pie DeSanto, a pint-sized hellraiser who had a wild, bluesy snarl and a great set of pipes. She also wrote a lot of her own music, and penned several hits for other stars on the blues and R&B circuits. Sugar Pie didn't have huge success on the charts, but you can tell from the raw energy on these recordings that she must have blown the roof off any gig she played live. This 12-song collection was originally an LP that came out in 1989 (thank god!) and it is, amazingly, still the only above-board collection of her vintage material for the Chess and Checker labels. It is way too short of an album, but man does it smoke! There are a half-dozen songs on here that are burned into my brain forever, including the slinky, joyful "Down In The Basement" and the explosive "Do I Make Myself Clear." If you like raw, pure, rockin' blues, you owe it to yourself to discover what Sugar Pie DeSanto sounded like in her prime. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Music Reviews)