**1/2 Michelle Willson

SO EMOTIONAL

(Bullseye Blues)

This Boston blues lioness tends to favor brassy numbers and full-bawdied jazz novelties à la Dinah Washington, the brawling singer who left nine husbands and a generation of singers gasping in her wake. Like Washington, Willson has a big, raspy voice and an extroverted persona that shines bright -- as bright as the lights glancing off the horns in the all-star group gathered for So Emotional. The line-up includes local blues heavies like guitar virtuoso Ronnie Earl, gritty saxophonist Gordon Beadle, and former and current Roomful of Blues frontmen Greg Piccolo and Sugar Ray Norcia. Willson likes horn-laden, up-tempo R&B romps, some of which (a couple of fine Willson originals) work better than others (Bobby Troup's tired "The Girl Can't Help It"). But she's rarely in the mood to give a tune a serious, thoughtful treatment to balance out all the good-time jive. Red-light highlights include her casual rap on "Sexological Solution" and the squeaky swagger of Dinah W.'s double-entendre classic "Long John Blues," where Earl's delicate guitar sound is at its fluid best.

-- Bill Kisliuk