Collard Greens and Gravy

This is another one of those ancient reviews of mine that disappeared along with The Delta Snake website and I thought maybe had disappeared for good. Even though I had the foresight to print off my website submissions back in the day, it didn't mean that I was diligent as far as where I stuck those bits and pieces and it has taken me awhile to find this one back again.

I fell under the spell of Australian Ian Collard's harp tone as soon as I heard the first fat licks that he was slammin' down on his band's first CD called Collard Greens and Gravy. I had ordered both this 1999 release and the 2000 follow-up called More Gravy and was absolutely blown away by the talents of these Aussie blues guys. Even though I've bought literally hundreds of CDs since then, these two stay close to my stereo just to remind me of what Collard can get going with a harp in his mouth.

Soon after the release of these two gems, the trio ventured to Memphis and impressed the masses assembled for the International Blues Competition and claimed the 2nd place prize (I wasn't there, but I can't see anyone beating them). A few years later, they made their way back to the U.S. and flew into Houston and added to the substantial talent that gathered for one of Sonny Boy Terry's Harmonica Blowouts and I got a chance to hang with this harpmaster for a short time. My buddy, Stephen Schneider rounded up a few additional gigs for them, including an outstanding harmonica clinic conducted by Ian for our local HOOT (Harmonica Organization of Texas) chapter. He solidified my opinion of his skills during his stay and I found him to be a darned nice guy.
So, without further ado, here's the review from back in the day:



Collard Greens and Gravy
Collard Greens and Gravy
BMM227.2
AND
More Gravy
BMM240.2
Black Market Music


Don't know for sure, but there must be a Delta somewhere in Australia that rivals the Mississippi to conjure up music with this level of conviction and emotion. This trio of musicians have the mojo in their souls and it literally oozes out of these two releases.

Collard Greens and Gravy get a pretty darn full sound and makes plenty of racket with just harmonica, guitar and drums laying out a pattern of music that is solidly built on the tradition of the Mississippi modal structure and Chicago blues blasting. They cover songs by R.L. Burnsides, Little Son Jackson, Skip James, Muddy Waters, Little Walter and add a heaping helping of original material. Led by frontman Ian Collard, they prove once more that blues is definitely a state of mind and not a state of geography. Collard is one of the most exciting harp blowers to come along in quite some time. He takes the harp and pulls just about all the tone that you can get out of every reed on the instrument before the songs on these two CDs are finished. He gives lessons in just how far the harp reeds can be bent up, down and maybe sideways, because he gets some sounds that elude most harpmen. Some of the tones will have the hair on back of the neck sit up. He has a way of keeping any amplified tone from getting boring and far from stale. It doesn't matter if he hits on licks that may have been applied a time or two throughout recorded blues harp history, because it is the way that he attacks the instrument that is so fascinating and tonally satisfying. Check out what he does to the original, The Wind Is Blowing, on the first disc, where he uses most of the entire harp to get his message across. Or where his resonant tone with tons of sustain plays the middle harp notes effectively on Circles Going Round (which contain some of his best lyrical ideas).

Well, I can go on forever about Collard's harp playing and it is the focus of CG&G's sound, but they are a band and guitarist James Bridges and drummer Anthony Shortte are just as much an important part of the sound machine. Bridges proves that he can pull out the blues grooves regardless of which way Collard wants to head. He attacks Little Walter's Hate To See You Go (1st CD) with some mighty fine bending that is sweet, helps propel Bo Diddley's Pretty Thing into the rhythmic grind called for (2nd CD) and gets some real, authentic, traditional slide worked up on quite a few numbers such as; She's Gonna To Take Sick And Die (1st CD), More Gravy (2nd Cd) and Out In The Desert (1st CD). Of course, without a bass carrying the bottom, he must use a pretty rhythmic style of playing to keep things kicking, which he does quite well with Shortte's able stick swinging, which is inventive and full of plenty of variety to drive this trio's sound. Many harpmen will profess to using the drummer's cadence to bounce their licks off of, hence a drummer many times is the blues harp's most important element in finding the right mojo. Shortte proves on every song that Collard has a well chosen man on the drum kit to propel the CG&G in the direction they aim and the target that they hit.

Collard has a fine voice chock full of emotional aspects needed to get the blues across with conviction. He gets a little affective on a song or two (such as emulating Skip James on Sick Bed Blues), but for the most part his vocals are as tonal as his harp playing is. He does the dark, brooding, pleading side of the human condition exceptionally well. (Back in the day, I was taken to task for my opinion of his Skip James affectation and the taskmaster was right. Collard does nail down the soul of the song with his vocal shift).

Hard to pick one CD over the other. They could have just as well been packaged as a double disc because they are so closely akin to each other and that tells me that this is what they are all about and plan to be about. Consider the latter release, More Gravy, as just a sequel that works was well as the first.

These guys do it up right and anyone that has pressed the Mississippi saxophone to their lips and tried to suck and blow tones from it must check out these two releases. They are keepers. Anyway--there it is as it was, but...



Since this was written the band has released a couple of additional CDs on the Black Magic Label. Silverbirdd (2004) builds on groove that the band established with the CDs reviewed here, but with tunes that are all Ian Collard originals except for three cuts. He also debuts his considerable skills as a guitarist and bounces ideas back and forth with Bridges. There are a few less harp driven numbers as a result, but as a result there is also a bit more variety thrown into the mix. A little Hill Country blues mixes and meshes with those Delta sounds that were highlighted before. It is tough today to get something original going with the blues, but Collard's writing, singing and blowing along with the CG&G groove certainly puts a nice spin on the genre.



Many harp fans are going to quibble with the release of Devil In The Woodpile, that Collard has forsaken that deep, fat toned amplified harp tone for its prequel in capturing what CG&G was hinting at on the previous release. They are stomping out the sounds of the hypnotic, groove driven, Mississippi Hill Country Blues which is not known for harp tones in general, but Collard is slapping the harp down and making it fit along with his rhythm and slide guitar. So, yeah, there is a bit less harp going on, but he does get the wild thang going when he does get going. This is just Hill Country Blues according to Collard Greens and Gravy and they get it right.

They put out Live At The Northcote Social Club, that took me a bit of tracking down to get it in my hands, that captures the band in all their glory last April. Great stuff, there. I finally found it at www.newfoundfrequency.com. The band has a website at wwww.collardgreensandgravy.com and pages at www.myspace.com/collardgreensandgravy and www.myspace.com/iancollard. Go there to listen to their music and view videos and you won't be disappointed. Tell 'em Ricky sent you. Anyway--

"Philadelphia" Jerry Ricks

"Philadelphia" Jerry Ricks
Many Miles of Blues
Rooster Blues Records


When Andria Lisle, the publicity agent for Rooster Blues Records, sent me a copy of Eddie C. Campbell's CD, she also included a copy of "Philadelphia" Jerry Ricks' Many Miles of Blues. I had heard of Ricks, but I had never heard him. He impressed me very much with his writing, singing and playing the acoustic blues. What impressed me the most, though, was an e-mail response that he sent me in appreciation to my review. I'm including his letter here because it is near and dear to my heart and because I want to share it. Sad thing is that Jerry passed away this past December in Croatia of all places. He and his wife had moved there and a tumor was discovered on his brain and he was not able to conquer it. Those that knew him and his music also knew that he was vastly under appreciated for his talents. Here goes:

Dear Richard,

Rooster Records sent me a copy of your review of Many Miles of Blues. Sometimes musicians tend to forget there are as many reviewers that believe in them as there are musicians. Some reviewers are also in an emotional zone after hearing your works as you feel you would like them to be. Too often, both sides have problems conveying that to each other. From the bottom of my heart, I really appreciated your review. Why? In over four decades of playing the blues, this is the review where the reviewer climbed inside my heart and head on everything I've been trying to express as if he could read my mind and feel my soul. So for me and all my mentors, I really mean this, thanks. I know that the giants that I knew would also feel with that kind of hearing and understanding that came from your heart and your pen, will all go forward for many miles of blues.

Thanks again from me and I'll take it upon myself to covey from John, Skip, Son, Bukka, Lightnin', Mance, Brownie, Sonny, Fred, etc., thanks.
P.S-Tell your wife, thanks for her inspiration also.

"Philadelphia" Jerry Ricks
Peace

This is what I wrote back in the day:
Even my wife loves "Philadelphia" Jerry Ricks. 'Nuff said. End of review. Just kidding, but some of you know exactly what I mean.

Ricks is the real deal, playing country blues the way it is supposed to be played. He is a bluesman, he plays and sings the blues and he is proud of it. No pushing the envelope here to pull some other crowd into the sport.

I read where one reviewer, in comparing Ricks with a couple of notable acoustic players on the scene, said that he is not as varied. That's good in my book. You can darn well vary yourself right out of the blues. Either it is or it ain't.

This is the way Jerry Ricks thinks. As he says in his liner notes about tradition needing to be preserved before being taken forward, "...if they go so far forward that they don't have any blues element in 'em, you can't call everything a blues." And also, "that's what I play and that's all I play". Right on, Mr. Ricks.

Ricks realizes that it is the words and not only the instrumentation within the standard 12 bar structures that helps add all the variation that is necessary. Country blues is not meant to be listened to passively. It is not background music and the words demand attention to understand what it is all about.

As a matter of fact, What It's All About is the title of one of the five original tunes from his pen. He takes it on a minor key trip with a little New Orleans funeral dirge thrown in. How's that for variety?

He says that the last several years that he spent living and travelling through the "blues zone" in the South gave him the inspiration, visions and experiences he needed for this project. The project is dedicated to the bluesmen that preceded him and gave him his own dedication to preserve the music.

His originals are all deeply personal, reflecting his life experience while living in the "zone". The death of his mother, the shooting of his brother, the experiences of his friends and walking the land his mentors once walked all figure into his songwriting and his interpretations.

He covers his main man, "Mississippi" John Hurt, with a couple of tunes with exquisite finger picking that does ample justice to the memory of the master. The choice of including Louis Collins was a subconscious move that had connections to his brother's shooting.

He gives Big Bill Broozy's Hey Hey a little Lightnin' Hopkins' riffing and even sounds kind of like "Old Sam" vocally. The foot will be a'tapping on this jaunty number and then his guitar evokes Nehemiah "Skip" James' surreal sound on Special Rider Blues without being slavish to the original.

Ricks says that his maturity, along with his recent experiences, gave him the spirit to incorporate elements in his music that has has never utilized before. His guitar is propulsive on his own No More Ramblin' and he gets a string snapping Delta percussion going on Ed "Barefoot Bill" Bell's One More Time. At the same time he weaves his intricate finger picking in, out and around his driving rhythm.

Ricks covers a couple of piano men with Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery's Vickburg Blues and give Walter Davis Jr.'s Red Cross Blues the mournful tone that it needs.

His own Many Miles of Blues really sums it all up. It is destined to be a lowdown 12 bar classic itself and reaches way down in the soul. The song speaks to travelling miles and miles and no matter which road you choose, there's going to be many miles of blues. Amen, brother Rick.

He does want emphasis on the words he sings and he sings them well. His voice is as much of a match for the blues as any of these masters he has chosen to honor here. The experience of listening to this recording is like reading a good novel with a good plot, theme and characterization. You're gonna have to get your own copy and listen carefully to understand the story. It is the story of the blues and as long as there is bluesmen like "Philadelphia" Jerry Ricks, it is a story far from over. Did I mention that my wife loved this cd?

Anyway--there 'tis and Jerry left us way too early at age 67.

Eddie C. Campbell & A Tall Tale

Eddie C. Campbell
Hopes and Dreams
Rooster Blues Records


Here's another one of my reviews that I'm rescuing from obscurity. Eddie C. Campbell's forte is not playing harmonica (although he has exhibited that talent on record), but I uncovered him when I was tracking down the discography of Carey Bell, whose harp playing I've always admired and I mention in my post regarding Bob Margolin. Back then I found an LP reissued by Jim O'Neal's Rooster Blues Records that was first on the Mr. Blues label and was called King of the Jungle. The original album cover featured a wild looking Campbell replete with a full-blown Afro. Carey blew some good stuff on that album, but what grabbed me was the take that Eddie C. had on the music. The liner notes explained just what a unique individual he was and it translated into his music. It seems that he was one of the seminal second generation Chicago bluesmen that grew up around Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Elmore James and others, but ran with young pups like Magic Sam. He played guitar and bass in a number of the bands in the area, most notably Willie Dixon's. When things slowed musically, Eddie C. left for Europe, recorded several well-received albums and remained for a good ten years.

I may be wrong, but I do believe that he returned because he had a child due to be borned and he wanted to make sure that happened in America. The blues genre was enjoying a bit of a resurgence at the time also, so that may have helped prompt his return. Strange thing is that very shortly after his move Stateside, his band ended up booked into a Bryan, Texas venue (the same Third Floor Cantina that's mentioned in the Sam Myers' post). For some reason, these Chicago cats were swinging through the Lone Star state. Real Chicago blues guys were showing up in my neck of the woods--what a rarity. So, I called on a brother-in-law who loves such things and was soon rubbing elbows with Eddie C. and company, such as drummer Robert Wright, who had played with the late great Magic Sam and a who's who in Chicago. Eddie C. told me how he and Magic Sam lived in the same neighborhood and were close childhood friends and picked up guitar ideas together. He told how he literally sat on Muddy Waters' lap as a youngster and etc...the tales went. He had a good harmonica player along, a young white guy that I'm still trying to recall enough to track down. Don't ask me how I forgot his name, because he played guitar and sang well that night, also. It may be because Eddie C. called me up as a "special guest" in the house. He asked me if I had a harp on me and I told him that I had a "C" harp out in the truck and he told me to go fetch it. My knees have never knocked together as hard as they did on the return trip up those stairs to a stage inhabited by Real Chicago Bluesmen. Nervous? Oh, yeah! I had never been on a stage before, never played through an amplifier before and certainly never had a bandleader ask, "Now, what would you like to play?" I called out Little Walter's Blues With A Feeling and Eddie C. said, "Okay, you kick it off" and away we went. It was a little surreal. I had practiced that tune enough to hit it fair to middling, but the crowd went nuts, Eddie C. said that I nailed it and the harp player told me that he liked my tone. My brother-in-law was totally amazed and the Aggies in the room wanted to know what band that I played with around town. It was at this point in my life that I realized that there were a lot of people that have no clue as to how the blues harp is suppose to sound. I'm pretty sure that my brother-in-law paid Eddie C. money to let me play, but he's never admitted that. I digress, though.

So, I became a huge Eddie C. Campbell fan and sought out his recordings and hoped that he would put out something new now that he was back it the USA and he promptly recorded That's When I Know for Blind Pig Records to critical acclaim in 1994 and then this one for Rooster Blues Records in 1997. This is what I wrote back in the day:

The revitalized Rooster Blues Record label has swung back in action with some really fine recordings. Two of which are by blues veterans who have yet to get the attention that they are due. Eddie C. Campbell and Jerry "Philadelphia" Ricks, who both live in Europe for extended periods of time, have put out perhaps the best example of who they are and why we should pay attention to what they do.

Expansive. That is my best description for Eddie C. Campbell's blues. His is a sound with lots of air under it that lifts it up and allows the music to transport the listener to a zone that only blues music can reach. This is the sound that permeates Hopes and Dreams.

It is the sound of his reverberating guitar, hatched on Chicago's Westside, and a voice that echoes with the same resonance. A voice that is as unique as his music. Eddie C. Campbell's music is a sonic contradiction in terms. It is contemporary, yet traditional. It is explosive, yet mellow. His lyrics are deeply philosophical, then lighthearted and humorous.

It's been way too long of a wait since the 1994 release of That's When I Know on Blind Pig to hear from the pen of Eddie C again. This CD picks up where the last one left off with eleven more originals, many in collaboration with his wife, that proves he has few equals that can provide the blues with the freshness of ideas that he can.

Campbell has surrounded himself with solid sidemen that aren't just window dressing. They each supply vital elements to the sound that he wants to get across. He has in tow his old compadre, Robert "Huckleberry Hound" Wright on drums (he was a favorite of Magic Sam's), who knows exactly what Eddie C's music needs. Louis Villeri, one of Bobby Bland's ex-bandmates, helps him hold down the bottom on bass. Ernest Lane, who played with Ike Turner and Robert Nighthawk, lays down the lowdown piano, while Lester "Duck" Warner, Tim Perryman and Kenny Glover handle the horn charts. Jeff Jones provides the organ flow and last, but certainly not least, he coaxed his old buddy from his Waukegan band, Billy Boy Arnold into joining in on the fun on a couple of tunes.

The slashing, biting, reverb-drenched runs that intro the opener, Did I Hurt You, lets us know that, yes indeed, Eddie C is back. His solos wring out the high notes as he slams back into the bass notes and then slings out surprises that seem to come from nowhere. He voices sincere apologies for hurting his loved one and the horns really drive this one right.

The title cut rides a Chuck Berry Memphis groove, but Eddie C's guitar and voice mellow it into a smooth rhythm. His vocal range is on display here as he moves from a falsetto to a baritone and sings about how you can look but you can't see/the hopes and dreams inside of me.

Geese In The Ninny Bow begins with an insistent drum beat from "Hound", then Eddie C jumps into a Stevie Wonderish Superstitious riff, before the horns move it into classic R&B territory with a little funk on the side. It is unique in that he combines the lyrics of a couple of his previous recordings and successfully meshes them into one song.

You Worry Me starts with the low down, slow down 12 bar flow that the blues is most notable for and is THE tune that really reflects what Eddie C. Campbell's guitar style is all about. Lane's piano work is fabulous here. Otis Spann lives in the man's fingers.

Funky rhythms and the Chicago Westside string bending Eddie C does so well show up on Cool, Cool Woman. If you don't know the Westside sound, tune in here for a taste.

Slow and Easy is a mid-tempo shuffle instrumental that allows the sidemen to shine a little. Lane intros with some nice ivory tickling and Warner throws down some downright nasty tromboning and trumpeting. Eddie C jumps in about half-way through, tearing it up, but never over playing.

Billy Boy Arnold joins in a talking blues conversation with Eddie C on Those Was The Days. They reminisce about Waukegan nightspots, girls they've known and even "Hound" when he was a young pup. It is a downhome, acoustic foray that shows off Eddie C's skill on the flattop and allows Billy Boy to let his harp do some talking. Sweet stuff for a song that is not sung.

On Spend, he kicks out the licks, opening his ode to spending money as he gets it. He wants a new car and wants a new coat that will match his new boat. The horns riff along and boost the tune while Eddie C really gets the tone monster cranking with a solo that is sharp, short and too the point.

I'm Your Santa mines the same territory that Santa's Messing With The Kid did from his King of the Jungle LP. The latter has made its way on to more that one Christmas blues compilation. He backs himself on harp and plays the bass as he sings, I'll carve your turkey/I'll roast your duck/If you're good to me, you'll get a Christmas truck. This may just be another Christmas chestnut.

Lost Soul is another classic example of the Campbell sound, lyrically and musically, beginning with just Eddie C's remarkable voice echoing through the speakers. Both he and Billy Boy throw out harp licks on this lament.

It is back to Westside slinging on the the instrumental, Cougar that is close in spirit to Freddie King's San Ho Say. Of course, Eddie C and most of those that hung out on that side of Chicago will tell you that Freddie borrowed the tune from others. Eddie just borrows it back and twists it inside out and plays it the way he did back at the old Cougar Lounge--before anyone borrowed it.

Eddie C. Campbell is a unique and original bluesman with a perspective on life like few others and that is captured exceedingly well on Hopes and Dreams. Here's hoping that we don't have to wait as long to hear from his talent again.

Okay, there it is from back in day. You got to get you some Eddie C. Campbell if you don't have any. I do believe that some of his European releases have been re-released and most of them are worth getting. Let's Pick It is a good one to grabbed if you can find it. Check out Eddie C's myspace page and see what's up there. I'll try to get the Jerry Ricks review up soon. Anyway--

Sonny Boy Terry's First One

Sonny Boy Terry

Breakfast Dance

Doc Blues Records

Here we go. This is one of those reviews that I wrote "back in the day" for a website called Delta Snake Daily Blues. A fellow by the name of Al Handa ran the Snake with dedication and a conviction to keep the blues alive with a site chock full of music reviews and news that could be used relating to the blues. Then, the website just vanished. Weird how these efforts to keep the genre alive always seem to die first. I began writing reviews for him by submitting my opinions on blues CDs that were in my possession and those that I really thought that others needed to know about and for the most part releases that I enjoyed listening to and felt were good enough to recommend. Soon, though, I was receiving several CDs a month from Al for me to put my spin on and to be quite frank, some were abysmal examples of the genre. These were tough to write about, because I'd always adhered to the policy that if you can't say something good about someone (or their efforts), then say nothing at all. I also realized, though, that the job of a critic is to critique--the good and the bad. This became somewhat of a chore for me because what I really wanted to write about was blues that revolved around the blues harp and I began to fill a drawer with CDs from Al on every type of blues imaginable--acoustic, country, delta, Chicago, West Coast, pre-war, post-war, blues/rock, rock/blues, you name it. Anyway--this is the first review that I wrote for the site back then because I felt Sonny Boy Terry had put out a winner for his first release and EVERYONE needed to hear about it. So, this is it as it appeared back in 1999.

When harpman Terry Jerome move to Houston in the early '80's and sought out and began playing with storied musicians like Jimmy "Louisiana" Dotson, Joe "Guitar" Hughes, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland and Jerry Lightfoot, it didn't take long for him to get tagged with his "Sonny Boy" moniker. They recognized the talent in his soul and on his instrument.

His talent led to a four year stint with Hughes and the chance to tour Europe with both him and Dotson. His recorded harmonica graces albums by Hughes, Copeland and James Bolden. This CD represents his first foray into the world of bandleading.

He has captured the rich, musical essence of the Texas Gulf Coast on this debut release, Breakfast Dance. It moves from straight ahead blues, Latin grooves, Zydeco swing, bluesy rock and a touch of jazz. All with the sensibilities of a true bluesman.

The CD title comes from an after-hours gig along the Gulf Coast with Hughes and Copeland that began on Christmas eve and lasted until morning. The locals called it a "Breakfast Dance" and it kicks off fittingly enough with a rollicking version of Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner's I Live Where The Action Is. SBT's slashing harp leads the way and puts harp fans on noticed that this Houston boy can play and his vocal growl gives the tune what it calls for. It sets the stage for Adam Birchfield's rockabillyish string bending that adds the right groove to the song.

I'll Be Your Fool is one of five originals that showcases SBT's skills at shaping his own tunes. The driving, slashing guitar of co-author, Bill Allison, sets up the rock-tinged groove and SBT's solos show off the tone that he can coax out of the humble diatonic harmonica. Phil Marquez' B-3 organ keeps the tune flowing along smoothly.

Co-written with Jerry Lightfoot, the jumping instrumental, Pressure Cookin', really throws down SBT's techniques onto the disc. His mix of thickly drawn chords and single note runs prove his mastery of his instrument. Adam Birchfield's guitar versatility emerges on this one.

SBT again pays homage to another legendary Gulf Coast figure on Ashton Savoy's Jangle, Jangle (Down Mexico Way). Savoy is one of those Louisiana cats that recorded for Excello and Goldband back in the '50s and '60s. SBT gives the tune a Latin beat and shows that he can adjust his vocal timbre for the genre. The groove is driven by the rhythms of bassman Benny Brasket and drummer, Kevin "Snit" Fitzpatrick. If you like what Charlie Musselwhite has done with Cuban rhythms , you'll love what SBT is doing with his harp on this one.

He takes Little Walter's Business Man (from the pen of Willie Dixon) on the trip it deserves. Once again he prove his skills at adapting his vocals to fit the material. Marquez weave his piano in and out and provides a tasty solo break and Birchfield stretches out with a Kid Ramos flavored tone. SBT's harp licks are purely original and he lays off of copying Little Walter. Basically, he just kicks butt.

Recorded by Slim Harpo many decades ago, Moody Blues proves that Slim could have used a better saxman when compared with this version. SBT tapped Houston's Grady Gaines' exquisite talent on the instrument and he blows the leanest, meanest sax ever put to wax here. When he and SBT get into a synchronized groove, it is a classic not to be missed.

The minor-keyed original, Take Your Time showcases SBT's chops on the big chromatic harmonica. It is a jazzy little number featuring the vibraphone of Harry Shepard, who lays down some mighty tinkling that plays off of SBT's sweeping harp lines.

The CD heads straight for the heart of Louisiana on Hey Zydeco, replete with rubboard from Joe Lavergne and accordion swing from Pierre Stoot. SBT's harp chording chugs drive the tune into the swamp.

SBT digs back into Juke Boy's songbook with Railroad Tracks and he lays down some wonderful, nasty amplified tone on the Mystery Train rhythmed highlight. Birchfield goes back to his Scotty Moore influenced rockabilly guitar licking and bassman Terry Day and drummer, Fitzpatrick add the fuel that keeps the train a'rollin'.

SBT begins the minor blues classic, Laundromat Blues, on the chromatic and then switches to wailing away in third position on the diatonic harp. His sounds drip with vibrato and passion. True Houston legend, Joe "Guitar" Hughes, lives up to his middle name and reputation as he applies his considerable six string skills that sets this tune apart.

Another original instrumental again proves what Houston folks have know for years--Sonny Boy Terry is one of the finest harpmen in the business. It also drives home the point that this CD was long overdue. There are not too many darn harp instrumentals that have the soul contained in Holman and Dowling. Allison puts out some real blues riffing on the guitar here and Marquez applies his B-3 skills once more.

Just when you thought that SBT applied his nastiest tone on Railroad Track, he jumps into Billy Bizor's Screwdriver with even a nastier, driving, lowdown, distorted sound that drives the listener home. Allison's string-bending is once more on display here and the punch is supplied by Fitzpatrick with Rex Wherry on bass. A fitting way to end a disc dedicated to the sounds of the Texas Gulf Coast.

So, if you have never tasted what has been happening in this region for decades, give this gumbo stew a spin and get a little Gulf Coast nourishment at the Breakfast Dance.

Anyway--there you have it. I could have re-written it and improved it, because I've listened to it many more times since I wrote this in 1999, but this is what part of this blog is about--simple resurrection. Check out the Doc Blues Records website and Sonny Boy's myspace page.