Singing the blues – SYREETA NEAL, 29, Recording artist

Locals might hear the surname “Neal” with the word “music” and think they know what’s coming next, but Syreeta Neal is impossible to predict. Born and raised in Toronto, the 29-year-old artist is bona fide Louisiana music royalty. Her father is award-winning swamp-blues master Kenny Neal, and her granddad is Baton Rouge singer and harmonica wizard Raful Neal. She combines strong Etta James-like vocals, the commanding stage presence of Eryka Badu and the soulful storytelling of Joni Mitchell. Neal moved to Baton Rouge last year and is hard at work on her self-produced sophomore album, tentatively titled Little Soldier.

“I want this album to be driven by musicianship and great storytelling, not necessarily a polished and heavily produced album,” she says. “I was very young when I recorded my first album, Stand Tall, and I’ve gone through a lot of transformations both musically and personally since then, so it only stands to reason that this album will be much more personal and intimate than the first.”

Two songs from this new batch are streaming on her MySpace page: “Little Soldier” and “The Groupie Song.” Both tap into a gloriously breezy yet sage acoustic soul-pop feel. Listen to those two back-to-back to appreciate Neal’s storytelling skill, as the personal becomes universal and the universal relates to you.

Neal’s combined powerhouse voice, lithe guitar playing, electric beauty and energetic relationship with the crowd create a sure-fire recipe for success with the music-savvy Baton Rouge community. Stay on the lookout for numerous appearances around the Capital City in the next six months, including a CD release event early in the second half of this year.

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