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THE HOLLYWOOD BLUE FLAMES "ROAD TO RIO"
Source: Suncoast Blues Society
Date: 10/2006
Writer: George Willett
This is an interesting package of two good, yet different, Blues CD’s. The packaging leans toward the Road To Rio disc, but of equal importance is the Hollywood Fats Band’s Larger Than Life CD. The common denominator is the band, actually. It’s the same personnel, except that Kirk “Eli” Fletcher takes up guitar duties for the late Michael “Hollywood Fats” Mann. Both even have guest stars, Kim Wilson and Junior Watson on the “Blue Flames” side, and no less than Eddie “Clean Head” Vinson and Roy Brown on the “Hollywood Fats” disc.

The Road To Rio brings a well-versed group of journeymen playing tight and terse riffs on mostly original material. It covers a broad range of styles, from the rockin’ Road To Rio, to the countrified Everybody’s Blues to the jump Blues of Sharpest Man In Town, which I think Rick Estrin would be right at home with. The most amazing thing is that Al Blake sings in all these styles while still sounding like Al Blake!

The Larger Than Life tracks were taken from Blake’s homemade tapes of various shows and the sound quality varies widely. Fat’s Fries One probably wouldn’t make it except for his amazing guitar work. The Roy Brown tracks are quite good, capturing Brown’s still–soaring vocals and his funny asides. (Of Fats he says, “He must have some Black in him with that damn guitar” after a T-Bone Walker influenced solo) and you MUST hear Love For Sale”…

There’s not enough room here to really cover this package, but I listen to it a lot & like it a bunch!

©2006 Delta Groove Productions. All Rights Reserved.