Kat Riggins
By Mike O’Cull
Big-voiced blues/soul vocalist Kat Riggins comes across as seriously inspired and fully human on her new album Progeny. Released June 24th, 2022 on Gulf Coast Records, the set is intended as a tribute to Riggins’ own childhood and coming of age. It’s also a big shot of her own truth, delivered as she lived it.
Gulf Coast Records founder and contemporary blues star Mike Zito assembled a high-value studio band to back Kat on these sessions that featured himself on guitar, Matthew Johnson on drums, Doug Byrkit on bass guitar, and Lewis Stephens on keyboards. A few special guests dropped in to keep things spicy, including guitarists Melody Angel and Albert Castiglia and rapper Busta Free. The real star is, of course, Riggins and her ability to transform love, anger, passion, and pain into original music that tells her own story in a strong, poetic way.
South Florida’s Kat Riggins first fell in love with music through the diversity and enormity of her parents’ record collection. Through her folks, Kat discovered R&B, soul, country, gospel, hip-hop, and rock, influences that are still part of her sound today. Still, Riggins considers herself a blues artist and has devoted her life to crisscrossing the globe keeping the genre alive and kicking through her own Blues Revival Movement. She aims to reawaken people to the sincerity of the blues and how it reflects real life. “It’s about the raw emotion in every note,” she says, trying to explain why she does what she does. “If I can move someone to feel what I feel when I sing a song, then it’s all worth it.”
Riggins opens Progeny with the two-fisted blues/rock empowerment anthem “Walk On.” It’s a tough, take-no-mess blaster that will keep anyone who hears it moving towards their blessings no matter how difficult their present situation might be. Riggins’ vocal tone is solid and on point, referencing greats like Etta and Koko but taken forward and transformed into a unique and personal sound. Mike Zito rips it up on guitar, as you’d expect him to, and all that needs doing gets done.
“Sinkin’ Low” finds Riggins using a minor key, gospel-inflected style to speak on our rat-race world. She has obviously experienced the reality of a society that doesn’t know up from down and chooses to head for rock bottom. Despite the pain of it, she still teaches and asks listeners to consider a different way. She wants them to realize that our selfishness will be our undoing unless we each do something about it. Here, her vocal take is straightforward, meant to carry her message of reality. The band grooves tightly behind her, giving her everything she needs.
The upbeat, soul/blues beat of “In My Blood” will get your bones up and out of your easy chair. The song is a glorious celebration of the grit and tenacity Riggins gets from her family and uses to keep herself alive. Listen to this one loud enough and you’ll swear it’s in your blood, too.
“My City” is Riggins’ heavy funk love song to her Miami home. It’s an absolute party-starter with an amazing pocket that seems to set Kat free to be her ultimate, soulful self. Her hometown pride shines and shimmers like sunlight on the ocean and fuels this album highlight. Guitar man Albert Castiglia and rapper Busta Free also jump in to help burn this number down.
Riggins made sure Progeny was loaded down with top-tier songs and performances, so you’d best take it old-school and listen to it all at once. There’s a lot to relate to here but don’t miss “Woahman” or the simple, a cappella beauty of “Walk With Me Lord.” Kat Riggins has made a powerful statement of self with this record, creating with the sort of truth and transparency that will make anyone stop and listen. Get her into your rotation.
Kat Riggins website
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