(September 3, 2025) It’s been 14 years since Amy Winehouse passed away at the age of 27. Winehouse had an impact on fans and on musicians because she had a voice that belied her age and her material was excellent. Winehouse is probably your favorite musician’s favorite musician.
Winehouse certainly had that impact on SoulTracks favorite Rhonda Thomas. Thomas, like Winehouse, has an old soul. Thomas draws inspiration from the likes of Donny Hathaway, and jazz singers like Ella, Billie, and Sarah.
For this First Listen, Thomas decided to cover a song that Winehouse covered, Dave McCabe’s “Valerie” – originally written for The Zutons in 2006. Winehouse’s version is a rollicking homage to Northern soul where an energetic bass line and kicking drums provide a high-octane foundation for swelling strings, tight percussive horns, and Winehouse’s soulful vocals.
Thomas takes us to the Crescent City in her rendition. She begins the song with singing in French before the tubas, trombones and trumpet introduce a funky New Orleans second line march shuffle arrangement. Those horns, along with Thomas’ joyous vocal propel the song and the drums, bass and guitar fall in line.
“Valerie” is a change of pace from her soul/jazz projects such as Vinyl Daze, her most recent album, and she notes that the tune is a bridge to her alter-ego – Red Dragonfly, which will see Thomas explore up-tempo, dance, live house, and world music. Check out the unveiling of Red Dragonfly on this enthusiastic rendition of “Valerie.”
By Howard Dukes
