My Black Angel features all the poems from the book My Black Angel: Blues Poems and Portraits, with woodcuts of musicians by Charles D. Jones (available on amazon and elsewhere). Most of the tracks feature various musicians including Houston-based guitar virtuosos Erich Avinger and Michael Mandrell, San Francisco-based guitarist Tarik Fawal, Jones on banjo, and Addonizio on harmonica. Country blues harmonica master Joe Filisko plays a spirited Fox Chase on "When Joe Filisko Plays the Blues," and vocalist Ruth Beck covers a song written by the presiding spirit of this collection, Lucille Bogan. On "Penis Blues," Jones, Mandrell, and Peter Kline lend their moans to the speaker's lament: "I miss the penis. I feel like a word with no vowels; / no one wants to pronounce me." Whether the vibe is funny, sorrowful, or reflective, these tracks are infused with a love of the blues and the word. Kim Addonizio has been called "one of our nation's most provocative and edgy poets." She has been a National Book Award Finalist and recipient of a Guggenheim Foundation grant, two NEA grants, and other honors. The author of twelve books (and counting), she makes her living teaching privately and giving readings at conferences, colleges, and festivals around the world. Here's what Lucinda Williams wrote about the poems of My Black Angel: I don't just hear the blues in these poems I see the blues in these poems I see myself in these poems Of women in love and out of luck Of one legged men wanting love Of the homeless the forgotten the betrayed the scorned Of the beautiful and mighty rising out of the dust of faithful memories that hang on and won't let go And I close the book, inspired.