The Mannish Boys - Shake For Me

Note :

http://www.themannishboys.com

Origine du Groupe : North America

Style : Blues Soul , Blues Rock , Delta Blues

Sortie : 2010

The fifth album from the all-star blues collective, The Mannish Boys, once again reaches the high standards we have come to expect from Randy Chortkoff’s California-based Delta Groove and Eclecto
Groove labels, indeed he formed Delta Groove as a vehicle to put out music by The Mannish Boys – whilst keeping to the pure roots values of the music, performed by a group of musicians in the top
division of the blues.



The core of the band on “Shake For Me” comprises Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones, Kirk Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser and  Chortkoff himself, with a new rhythm section in the shape of Willie J.
Campbell (bass) and Jimi Bott (drums). The guest list here is truly mouthwatering, most from the Delta Groove roster, and, deep breath required, are . . . Rod Piazza, Johnny Dyer, Mitch Kashmar,
Lynwood Slim, Arthur Adams, Kid Ramos, Nick Curran, Mike Zito, Fred Kaplan, Rob Rio, Andy Kaulkin, and European representation in the shape of The Backbones frontman, singer and harmonica player,
Pieter ‘Big Pete’ van der Pluijm . . . phew!



The music itself, over a generous 16 tracks, is a joy from the opening guitar salvo from Nick Curran on “Too Tired” to the closing “Way Down South”, a song from the late Lester Butler of The Red
Devils, admirably covered by Big Pete. Most of the vocals are taken by the ‘elder statesmen’ Finis Tasby and Bobby Jones, with Johnny Dyer pitching in as well.



As mentioned, the album gets off to a rollicking start with a rousing “Too Tired”, highlighting Finis Tasby’s great voice and the sparkling guitar work of Nick Curran. Fast-rising Mike Zito
shares the vocals and guitar duties on a medley of “Mona” and “Willie And The Hand Jive” leading into a sublime take on Lowell Fulson’s classic “Reconsider Baby” – with just a great feel and
groove, and another Tasby vocal and Fred Kaplan’s tinkling ivories.



Two personal favourites feature just duos – the Jimmy Oden / Otis Spann tune “Half Ain’t Been Told”, with just Bobby Jones impassioned vocal and the piano of Rob Rio, emulating the Otis Spann
lines; and the kick-ass “Number 9 Train”, with some plain dirty downhome guitar tones from Frank Goldwasser, who takes the vocal, and Jimi Bott’s driving drums – superb stuff indeed. West Coast
harmonica legend Rod Piazza is on top form on a classy “Last Night”, one of the best known Little Walter songs.



The horns of David ‘Woody’ Woodford and Lee Thornburg swing on Ray Charles “Hey Now”, another sterling Bobby Jones vocal here and more piano magic from Fred Kaplan and killer guitar solo from
Kirk Fletcher. Nick Curran and Fletcher tear it up on the swinging instrumental “The Bullet”, with the two guitarists sharing the solos with Kaplan, and it’s driven along by the top notch rhythm
section of Willie J. Campbell and Jimi Bott.



The pace is taken down on the long, rambling slow blues, penned by Randy Chortkoff, and featuring his own harmonica and some dynamite chromatic work from Lynwood Slim; Arthur Adams dominates his
own “Raunchy”, taking the lead vocal and two guitar solos on this funky blues, leading into the Muddy Waters classic “Champagne & Reefer” – another harmonica ace, Mitch Kashmar, impressing
here, with Johnny Dyer sound authentically Muddy-like on the vocal.



This cracking release ends in fine style with Holland’s own Pieter ‘Big Pete’ van der Pluijm doffing his cap to his hero Lester Butler on “Way Down South” – his big voice and harmonica ably
assisted by Kid Ramos’s customary brilliant guitar and Andy Kaulkin’s piano. Hopefully we’ll hear more of him on the next album!



As ever with Delta Groove / Eclecto Groove releases, this fairly burst out of the speakers – a beautiful sounding album as ever, with Jeff Scott Fleenor handling production duties on his own for
the first time, well done to him! I would love to see this project hit our shores, come on festival promoters, get to it for next year!



by GRAHAME RHODES

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Tracklist :

01. Too Tired

02. Mona/Willie and the Hand Jive

03. Reconsider Baby

04. Educated Ways

05. Half Ain't Been Told

06. Number 9 Train

07. Last Night

08. Hey Now

09. You Can't Be Beat

10. Black Nights

11. The Bullet

12. Those Worries

13. Raunchy

14. Champagne & Reefer

15. You've Got Bad Intentions

16. Way Down South