Hot Night Tonight

by William RuhlmannBarbara Lynn returned to performing in the mid-1980s after a family-related layoff of a decade and a half, but her musical approach has remained that of an early 1960s R&B artist. Now a well-preserved 58, on Hot Night Tonight she turns in a set of bluesy shuffles including a couple of '60s Stax covers - "Never Found a Man" and "When Something's Wrong" (a/k/a the Sam and Dave hit "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby") and some new originals, all prominently featuring her voice and guitar. The only nod to contemporary music is the inclusion of two versions of "You're the Man" featuring Lynn's son Bachelor Wise, who raps. Elsewhere, working with a sympathetic backup band, she smolders through romantic sentiments that range from the regretful "I Let a Good Man Go" to the assertive "Don't Hit Me No More." "It's Been So Long" is an impressive solo performance, just Lynn accompanying herself on guitar, while "Lynn's Blues" is a tasty near-instrumental with only one vocal chorus. Recorded for Antone's Records, Hot Night Tonight sounds like a club set in a locale not unlike Antone's itself.