BLUE FLAMES "ROAD TO RIO" Liner Notes by Scott Dirks

The Hollywood Blue Flames rose from the proverbial ashes of the legendary Hollywood Fats Band, beginning more than a decade after the death of the Hollywood Fats himself, Michael Mann. Although Fats was arguably the most important blues guitarist of his generation, and his loss could have dealt a crippling blow to the rest of the band, the surviving members of the band all still had plenty of great music in them. Much of this music was channeled into new and varied projects after the death of Fats; drummer Richard Innes went on to work with Fabulous Thunderbird Kim Wilson’s band among many others, pianist Fred Kaplan became a first-call studio musician and member of a hot jazz trio, bassist Larry Taylor was a member of Kim Wilson’s blues band, and has found regular work with icons Tom Waits and Bob Dylan among others, and singer/harmonica player Al Blake has continued to delve into the roots of the blues and make a name for himself as a country blues guitarist and singer. Additionally, all of the original Hollywood Fats Band members have continued to work with each other on numerous projects and in various combinations over the years. But it was only with the addition of guitar phenomenon Kirk Fletcher a few short years ago that the band members finally reconvened to record their first full CD together since the loss of Hollywood Fats, “Soul Sanctuary” on Delta Groove.

Their new release, “Road To Rio”, continues in their routine of always moving forward while staying firmly rooted in tradition. Six of the new Hollywood Blue Flames tracks included here are new recordings featuring the fretwork of Kirk Fletcher, while the rest were recorded in various other combinations with guests such as Kim Wilson and Junior Watson sitting in over the last decade. As always, it’s a balance of mostly original material sprinkled with a handful of perfectly-chosen covers.

Special attention should be given to two songs co-written by Blake and Hollywood Fats in the early 1980s, but never before recorded. According to Blake, “Steady Rollin’” and “Road To Rio” were composed in response to critics who pigeonholed Fats & Co. as ‘just another retro blues band’ – criticism that conveniently ignores the fact that they were almost solely responsible for pioneering that particular genre, and also that their collective talents went well beyond any easy categorizations. Fats and Blake were just beginning to incorporate more rootsy , Americana-flavored original sounds into their work at the end of Fats’ life, but unfortunately they never made it into the recording studio with their new material, which makes these two songs, recorded with Fletcher more than ably filling the role of Fats on guitar, all the more important. That these infectiously rocking originals sound as vital today when they were written almost 25 years ago stands as a testament to the groundbreaking talent of Hollywood Fats.

It’s tough to pick highlights from such a consistently satisfying and varied program, but other notable tracks include the beautiful Al Blake / Kim Wilson acoustic duet “Gone Away”, Kirk Fletcher’s barnburning guitar workout “3 rd Degree Burn”, Fred Kaplan’s tribute to the sounds of Professor Longhair and the great Louisiana pianists on “Gumbo Grinder”, the Junior Watson feature “ Jr.’s Boogie Rocket”, and Blake’s original “Black Chili Pepper”, one of several tracks here that he originally did as an acoustic number before updating it with a full band treatment (in much the same way the early blues masters updated and amplified their own acoustic material for urban consumption in the early post-war years.)

It’s not easy keeping one foot in past traditions and one in the present, all the while keeping an eye (and ear) on the future, but The Hollywood Blue Flames perform this acrobatic feat with ease. Hollywood Fats would be proud, and blues fans around the world can celebrate the fact that the Hollywood Blue Flames are burning as brightly as ever.