Summer 2006 After the Rain Irma Thomas (Rounder) New Orleans songstress Irma Thomas has endured a lot over the course of forty years in the game. Beginning her career in 1960, Thomas hit a high note with many forward-thinking ladies upon releasing her debut single, “You Can Have My Husband (But Don’t Mess With My Man).” Soon Thomas was able to celebrate the charting of several hits on Billboard, and found herself being covered by the likes of Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones within five years of recording her first song. With a sassy voice that could stop Patti Labelle or Aretha Franklin cold, Thomas has been blazing trails ever since, touring virtually nonstop, running a successful nightclub with her husband and raising a family in between. Her most recent release, After the Rain, finds Thomas exploring a past steeped in blues and gospel, alongside upbeat songs championing women’s independence. “I Count the Tears” resounds with old-school harmonies reminiscent of so many doo- wop songs, where “These Honey Dos” bounds through jazzily, piano and bass asserting themselves as mightily as Thomas’s lyrics addressing an unappreciative partner. “Stone Survivor” shows Thomas in her element, rebuilding and redefining her personal history through sound, where the album’s closer, “Shelter In the Rain,” could easily be taken for a hopeful, piano-driven love letter to her hometown in a post-Hurricane Katrina world. After the Rain reveals some of the best things about Irma Thomas’ charm as a performer and the powerful voice backing it all – each of the thirteen tracks engage listeners with melodies and lyrics that have staying power for days, while serving as testament to a great sense of wit and an unstoppable spirit. - Jocelyn Brown .