“Revival” is the sixth full-length album from Riggins, a Miami native whose gritty vocals and powerful singing style are peppered with generous hints of R&B, soul, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll – but deeply rooted in the blues. Ten original songs by Riggins and producer Tim Mulberry are filled with vivid lyricism that showcases the joyous benefits of the blues. Mulberry is also featured on bass, drums, keys and horns; the remaining Revivalists are Eric Guess on guitar with background vocals from Shaelyn Mulberry and Mark Barner.

The album and the musical crusade open at full throttle with the rocking blues “Lucky,” and Riggins’ tough vocals: “I know just what I like / I like to wheel and whine / And bump and grind / And get on down tonight.” The almost-title track “Revived” carries a message of R&B renewal behind funky organ riffs: “Look at my new walk / I’m stepping high / I got a real good feeling inside / Feeling revived.”

“Southern Soul” keeps the persistent party beat going: “Ain’t nothing like a southern soul / Blues all in my toes / Rockin’ roll folk singing.” There’s a tough new attitude matched by Riggins’ vocals in “New Level” – “I got a new attitude to match my dreams / I’m on a whole new level / And it’s plain to see / I got to be me.” The pace slows for the melodic rhythms and plaintive plea of “Set Me Free”: “Like singing the blues without feeling / Now why oh why keep trying / My patience is dying / Just set me free.”

Riggins has her mojo advice working on “Mojo Thief,” with a warning: “Everybody’s got a mojo / You just gotta let yours work / but don’t you be / no mojo thief.” There’s a bluesy philosophy behind the fierce vocals of “Chasing Time”: “I can’t rush into tomorrow / Or get back yesterday / But I keep / Chasing time.”

A strong statement of personal worth rolls in on the tough rhythms of “Mighty” – “Let the meek take the Earth / The universe / is for the mighty.” “Old Time Way” is a hard-rocking reminder of the musical good old days: “Nowadays the music plays / But the feeling ain’t the same / as the good old days / I wanna go back.”

The thoughtful closer is the optimistic “Healer,” a gently sung ballad with a folksong feel that slowly builds a message of hope, the ultimate revival: “Maybe I can bring somebody peace / Maybe make somebody feel loved / If I could just provoke a little hope in this world / It’ll spread left, right, below and above.”

Kat Riggins wants to revive the potent spirit of the blues that lives in her soul and share that spirit with every soul within the sound of her magnificent voice. She wants to move your heart – and your hips. “Revival” joyously does both.

Jim White (a former music writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette & now writes the Blues Roadhouse)

BIOGRAPHY

Kat Riggins, born Katriva Riggins in Miami on February 7, 1980, was raised in a home where music was always the heartbeat. Thanks to her parents’ eclectic tastes, she fell in love with everything from gospel and soul to country, rock, and beyond. But it was the gritty, smoky voices of legends like Koko Taylor, Tina Turner, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and Janis Joplin that really spoke to her soul.

At 23, Kat landed her first gig, singing jazz and blues standards in a cozy lounge in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, backed by just a piano. Fast forward, and she’s now rocked stages across the U.S., Southeast Asia, the Dutch Antilles, and throughout Europe. In 2018 and 2019, she took The Netherlands by storm during the Johan Derksen Keeps the Blues Alive tour, wowing sold-out crowds and winning over new blues fans on Dutch prime-time TV shows.

While Kat’s sound is a fresh blend of blues, rock, gospel, and soul, she is undeniably a BLUES WOMAN. Whether she’s writing uplifting anthems or belting out feel-good grooves, her music is raw, real, and full of heart, just like the blues. Her first releases, the EP Seoul Music and album Lily Rose, hinted at her deep love for the genre, but it was her 2016 project, Blues Revival, that fully declared it. This album is a wild, soulful mix of gospel, rock, and every shade of the blues! Following that declaration, in 2018 Kat self-released In The Boys’ Club, which is a foot stompin’ acknowledgement and appreciation of the power of women in the blues.

In 2020, Kat joined the Gulf Coast Records family, and her debut album with them, Cry Out, earned her a Blues Music Award nomination and snagged two Independent Blues Awards. Her 2022 follow-up, Progeny, made waves too, with another BMA nod and a spot at lucky #13 on the Billboard Blues charts.

In addition to her recorded works, Kat’s dynamic stage show is something to behold! Backed by an extraordinary group of musicians, a LIVE ‘Blues Revival’ will “get your mojo workin’” with high energy originals, as well as a couple of well-placed blues covers that folks can sing and shake to. Whether it’s your hips, your heart, or both, when it comes to Kat Riggins & her Blues Revival, you will be moved! Full of might, rasp and grit she can belt out one of her contemporary blues originals one minute, then deliver a tender, sultry standard the next. She does this all while making each person in her audience feel as if she is speaking directly to them. Blues Revivals are interactive and personal no matter how large the crowd. This intimacy is what makes every Blues Revival a memorable experience…not only for the audience, but also for Kat.

With her current discography, and more to come, Kat Riggins is doing her part to keep the blues alive and thriving, one electrifying performance at a time!