"Women blues-guitar players such as Bonnie Raitt, and more recently Susan Tedeschi, have paved the way for artists like Skyla. Many women in the blues have great voices and have made their careers singing the blues, but not too many can double it up, slice it, dice it and sacrifice it on the best Fender has to offer like Skyla can."

"Burrell's voice is as deep and wide in range as the mighty Mississippi itself. Her voice has the same timbre as Bonnie Raitt with the soul of Billie Holiday and a little of Janis Joplin's strength for good measure."

"That's when the guitar strings start to smoke and the air starts to fill with an electric hum, the sound of the blues being thrown over the audience like some form of mass hypnotism. On stage, she's equal parts siren, blues goddess and ringmistress"

"Burrell and her three cohorts find virtue in professionalism. They deliver unpretentious, self described "Hard Drivin' Blues" in which strength and understatement unite in an easy, fluid balance without sucking up to rock."

"Skyla Burrell Blues Band, I heard about, but never listened to their music, not even without paying attention (or I don’t remember). Big mistake. « But there are so many bands out there, one really be up to date, cant hey ?? ». Yes, I agree. But when you’re a reviewer with self respect, you do ! And that’s it ! I must admit that unlike the usual, I didn’t buy this CD, I received it. Generally I don’t review those, except, for this one, it tickles your Uncle’s pleasure center, who finds himself laughing with joy, with happy dancing slippers to boot. So I got to do this, and here you go…

Beautiful Skyla, yes, she is good to the eye, and even, as they quite good looking… So miss Skyla and her partners met in 2003 and since, they’ve been traveling, playing their blues with commitment. A blues that’s somewhere between 50’s swing and blues-rock which is not really blues-rock ?? Uncle’s description’s not an easy one, is it ? Try this : it’s swinging Memphis/Chicago 50’s blues with a little touch of blues-rock but not too much of it. Makes sense ? I say their blues because they’re only originals, co-written by the miss and her guitarist buddy Mark Tomlinson, played by a band in which everyone is at the same level, no tyrannical leader, no, a true band like your Uncle likes them ! Of course there’s Skyla, because she sings, and how ! Let me tell you, a superb voice, vibrating, playing with Bonnie Raitt here, Janis Joplin there (on the edge of it only, she doesn’t exaggerate), sharing sharp choruses and solos with this Tom cat, beautifully backed by the rhythm section, Ezell Jones (drums) and Tony Ryder (bass) perfectly in phase and totally showcased, they don’t play like they want to make you deaf but their contribution is round instead, powerful without exaggeration, in one word boosting, and in a total osmosis. A real treat between the jazzy blues « Fat Cat Daddy » featuring the mandatory saxes, Rockin’ Boogie « Rockin’ in Memphis » or the superb « Livin’ Day to Day » putting Ezell Jones superb drumming under the spotlight, or, to finish, the filled with feeling slow blues « Don’t Let me Go ».

A promising second CD, a beautiful piece that announces a more than interesting follow up, and the growing of a blues band to keep under your radar…"

"Wake up people! The cool blues just walked in! And it’s coming from a hot band from Pennsylvania, USA that has a tight sound and a lot of soul. Hailing from the land of the brave and the home of the blues, they have an authenticity to their sound that doesn’t sway to a pop side that can usually ruin any attempt at being a good blues band. And with a female vocalist whose voice jumps out and grabs you by the blues, The Skyla Burrell blues band is the real deal in a solid package that stays true to the real meaning of their genre."