Little Janice

Although she cut on the West Coast, Janice Tyrone came from Kingsville in SE Texas. Her first 45 is a bit of an oddity as it was released on Proverb that otherwise stuck entirely to gospel music. In any event both sides are strong small band R & B with Janice’s own guitar work prominent. After this she worked with bandleader Paul Gayton, who had moved to the West Coast from New Orleans when session work there pretty much dried up in the mid 60s. He released four singles on Janice, as well as an album that is now rather rare.

Her first sides included a lively “Not Till Him” which showed Janice to have a powerful and flexible voice, complete with some fine gospel touches and a confident tone. Even better was her third single which featured I Am A Soul which I lke very much indeed. The chord changes are first class as is the Memphis styled guitarist (Janice herself?) and the background singers. And Janice is right in the pocket.

All six of her released sides were also on the LP “Today’s Youth”, and it also had one of her own fine songs in the swaying, finger popping “Walk Right In”. But I think her best work was reserved for her final release, neither side of which was on the album. I’m Gonna Make It and Meet Me Baby are high quality ballad soul, and Janice seems even more at home in the setting of a crack Los Angeles big band, with a large and well-arranged horn section. Check out how she soars over and around the melody on “I’m Gonna Make It”. The bluesy “Meet Me Baby” is almost as good, with a lovely piano solo break in the middle.

What a pity Janice didn’t record more tracks after this.