THE HOLLYWOOD BLUE FLAMES "ROAD TO RIO" Source: Blues & Rhythm Magazine Date: 06/2006 Writer: Phil Wight

The Blue Flames are a crew of consummate professionals, with a total command of the genre. Able to move effortlessly from the Hooker influenced boogie ‘Everybody’s Blues’ to the downhome ‘Coffee Grindin’ Man’ (nothing to do with barristas!) to Freddie Kaplan’s ‘Big Chief’ styled New Orleans piano instrumental ‘Gumbo Grinder’; from Al Blake’s vocal with acoustic guitar country blues ‘Gone Away’ featuring Kim Wilson on harp, to Kirk Fletcher’s instrumental feature ‘3rd Degree Burn’ to L.C. McKinley’s ‘Sharpest Man In Town’ (with guest Tom Fabre on sax) this is a superb set in every way. The rhythm section swings mightily, drummer Innes is particularly fine and Kaplan is a seriously underrated piano player. This new release also includes two previously un-recorded roots-rock outings (‘Road To Rio’ and ‘Steady’ Rollin’’) co-written by Hollywood Fats and Al Blake.

Winding up CD one are three numbers featuring the great Junior Watson. ‘Junior’s Boogie Rocket’ is a West Coast swing style instrumental with bassist Larry Taylor almost pulling the strings off his doghouse bass, so mighty is his sound. ‘Let Me Love You’ features Blake on harp and vocal on this Willie Dixon song and the set ends with a mellow instrumental run through the ‘Honeydripper’.

However, if this sounds like the business, wait until you whack on the second CD! Twelve supercharged live cuts by the original Hollywood Fats Band. Kicking off with a steaming instrumental ‘Fats Fries One’ from an unknown location, next up is a real find; Fats vocal debut on ‘Nasty Boogie Woogie’ relating the trials and tribulations of a famous Hollywood director who ‘did the jail bait boogie’ (and who will remain anonymous in this publication!). ‘Baby Let’s Play House’ is a classy rockabilly run through the Arthur Gunter number then Fats storms through ‘Sidetracked’ (this cut sounds ok considering it was recorded on a hand held recorder).

Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson’ joined the band for two numbers at the 1979 Monterey Jazz Festival and runs through two of his standards with his usual aplomb. The remaining cuts come from a gig at the White House in Laguna Beach in 1980; ‘Shake Rattle And Roll’, a stroll through Billy Boy’s ‘Rockinitis’ and the Sonny Boy 2 inspired ‘This Little Voice’. The two vocal features for guest Roy Brown are ‘Love For Sale’ which is apparently a ‘song about a male prostitute’ (that’s what Roy says) and a jumping T-Bone inspired ‘Boogie Woogie Blues’, sadly Roy was to die shortly after this gig. ‘Motel Time’ ends the show with Fats doing his band leader bit; introducing the band, telling the audience to come back next week etc, etc.

For the Hollywood Fats fans out there (and count me among them) this is a real treat, 61 minutes of pure listening pleasure, just get out there and hand over your pounds, euros, dollars, yen, roubles, whatever and sit back and enjoy!