THE HOLLYWOOD BLUE FLAMES "DEEP IN AMERICA" Source: Blue Suede News Date: 01/2010 Writer: Marc Bristol

While the Hollywood Fats Band wasn’t the first Blues band to dedicate itself to vintage styled Blues, one member – bassist Larry Taylor – was with Canned Heat. They were certainly one of the best, and most dedicated. When Michael “Hollywood Fats” Mann passed away in 1986, the group reformed as the Hollywood Blue Flames after a few year hiatus, using Junior Watson on guitar. Their new double CD features several cuts with the Watson version of the band, and a few newer ones with Kirk Fletcher on guitar. Easily up to their longtime high standard, the CD visits both electric and acoustic Blues styles on primarily original tunes, but also covering Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Jalopy To Drive,” Jimmy McCracklin’s “I Don’t Care,” the traditional “Rocky Mountain Blues” and revisiting L.C. McKinley’s “Nitwit” from their early repertoire. Al Blake has his solo moment on guitar and vocal, and pianist Fred Kaplan his on “Hushpuppy” with both of them joined by drummer Richard Innis on the McCracklin tune. The big bonus is another full disc of live Hollywood Fats Band material mostly from 1980, plus 3 tracks from the Keystone in Palo Alto from 1979. While the recording quality varies, the performances are all sterling, and 4 tracks feature the drumming of Al Duncan, session drummer from Chess and Vee-Jay, and house drummer at Chicago’s Regal Theater. Al Blake’s “Music Man” (him on guitar and vocal, backing himself on harmonica) and “He’s A Blues Man” penned by all the surviving Hollywood Fats Band members tell the story of these guys’ dedication. Longtime fans or new converts to the vintage Blues ethos can’t fail to enjoy these two a whole lot!