Gina Sicilia is an American blues singer and songwriter from Newtown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. She emerges on the Philadelphia scene in 2007 with her debut album, Allow Me to Confess, and is described as a singer with a strong voice and a reputation as both an interpreter and writer of songs.

Career

Sicilia’s first release, Allow Me to Confess, draws attention from blues listeners and critics. In 2008, she receives a nomination for Best New Artist Debut at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. Her second album, Hey Sugar, shows her working in a wider frame that includes classic country and Americana alongside blues.

Her 2011 album, Can’t Control Myself, expands that mix further, adding soul and Americana to her blues and R&B roots. The record includes seven original songs by Sicilia and three covers of songs associated with Bobby Bland, Stevie Wonder and Ike & Tina Turner.

Style and collaborators

Sicilia is associated with blues, R&B, soul, Americana and classic country. Her recordings are noted for her songwriting as well as her treatment of lesser-known material from the rhythm and blues tradition.

Can’t Control Myself is produced and engineered by her label mate Dave Gross, who plays every instrumental part on the album except trumpet, saxophone and one lap-steel contribution.

Reception

Her singing is often described in terms of its depth, range and power, and her early releases are presented as marking her out as a distinctive new voice in contemporary blues.