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THE
HOLLYWOOD BLUE FLAMES "ROAD TO RIO"
Source: Living Blues
Magazine
Date: 08/2006
Writer: Jeff Forlenza |
The
Hollywood Blue Flames’ second release on
Delta Groove Productions, Road To Rio, offers
more of the traditional blues music that made
them one of the premier West Coast blues acts
over 25 years ago as the Hollywood Fats Band.
Michael “Hollywood Fats” Mann, who
supplied the distinctive guitar work for that
band, died in 1986. The rest of the Fats band
(Al Blake on vocals and harmonica, Fred Kaplan
on keyboards, Larry Taylor on bass, and Richard
Innes on drums) has continued playing the blues
in various outfits around the L.A. area since
then. Recently, bandleader Al Blake got the band
back together and tapped young gun Kirk “Eli”
Fletcher to fill the guitar spot vacated by Hollywood
Fats. He called the band the Hollywood Blue Flames.
Packaged with Road To Rio is a second CD, Larger
Than Life, which includes unreleased live recordings
of Michael Mann and the Hollywood Fats Band in
various settings. Since the HFB released only
one hard-to-find album, the live recordings provide
rare evidence of Mann’s impressive guitar
skills. Especially noteworthy among the live tracks
are two songs with Eddie “Cleanhead”
Vinson captured at the 1979 Monterey Jazz Festival:
Kidney Stew Blues and Cleanhead Blues. The new
Blue Flames album, Road To Rio, features the powerful
harmonica playing and singing of Al Blake. Two
of the tracks, Road To Rio and Steady Rollin’,
were actually co-written by Hollywood Fats and
Blake but were never recorded. Other standout
tracks include two instrumental numbers: on Gumbo
Grinder, Kaplan gives a nod to Professor Longhair
with his rollicking New Orleans piano style. On
Honeydripper, the Blue Flames are joined by guitarist
Junior Watson as Blake’s wailing harmonica
takes center stage. Gone Away features Fabulous
Thunderbird front man Kim Wilson on harmonica
while Blake plays guitar and sings. The two-disc
set has plenty of spirited Chicago-style electric
blues music. One disc is a historic document of
a great blues guitarist gone too soon. The other
disc shows his bandmates carrying on and playing
the blues for a new generation of fans. |
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