"the next great Twin Cities blues singer...Joyann Parker is the best Twin Cities female singer you've never heard. Imagine a sober Janis Joplin. And that's a good thing. Imagine a taller Shemekia Copeland without the my-dad-was-a-blues-star pedigree. And that's a really good thing. There's pain in Parker's heart - and in just about every song she writes and sings. And, onstage, the grimace on her face, the clenched fists and the ache in her roar let her listeners know that she knows hurt...Whatever she plays, Parker owns it. She's a powerful, animated blues-rock singer, capable guitarist and pianist, and a writer of praiseworthy originals." - Jon Bream/Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Hard to Love" Isn't Hard To Love - Read the reviews!
“'Hard To Love' is a colorful musical tapestry woven by a consummate artist out of the warp and wool of jazz, soul and blues. Parker's passionate vocals deliver what might be one of the best albums of the year so far.”
— Henry L. Carrigan, Living Blues
“Joyann Parker presents a package of originals and serves notice that she’s a blues performer to the bone. Bravely risking emotional exposure, this Minneapolis- based singer and multi-instrumentalist shows a penchant for depicting a unique response to the ups and downs of life. The album sweeps through well-titled numbers like “Envy,” “Evil Hearted,” and “Take My Heart And Run.” Parker and company work styles ranging from Chuck Berry and bluesy funk to French Quarter parades and Memphis soul approximations.”
— Frank-John Hadley, DownBeat Magazine
“...Some of the smokiest, smokingest green eyed soul you are going to encounter. Killer stuff throughout.”
“Joyann Parker is the real deal...a powerful vocalist, an accomplished musician on both guitar and piano, and the writer of songs that hold up over time. This is blues and deep southern soul of the highest order. Joyann Parker is a 21st century blues woman.”
— Bill Wilson, Reflections In Blue
“ (Hard To Love) showcases her as a singing, songwriting, guitar-playing, self-producing, self-aware powerhouse, but the driving force is unquestionably her voice — a formidable instrument she wields with soul and taste.”
— Pasadena Weekly
“There’s some serious singing and musicianship afoot here...She’s got the pipes and comes across honestly and passionately…on firmly planted ground singing the smoldering, slow-burning Stax-like ballads.”
“If you want music with a whole lot of soul and passion, music that can move your heart one moment, then move your feet the next, check out the new release from Joyann Parker, Hard To Love.”
— Michael Doherty
“Parker's voice is mesmerizing...this album is one of the year's best.”
— Richard Ludmerer, Making A Scene
“Fans, they don’t write just any blues songs–this duo creates soulful, passionate trips into the listener’s heart, just the way they wrote ’em back in the days of Sam, Dave, Aretha, Dan, and Spooner.”
“She is immersed in the blues and it is now a part of her life, just like breathing and her heart beating... the shoes are kicked off and she is very much at home here. ”
— Bob Gottlieb, No Depression
“There are myriad hues of blue on the full-length album: soul, Memphis, New Orleans, Motown, Delta and rock. New listeners will be thrilled to discover the true blues from Joyann Parker, whose music is easy to love.”
— Tahoe On Stage