LYNWOOD SLIM "LAST CALL" Source: Real Blues Magazine Date: 10/2006 Writer: A. Grigg

The line-up of musicians on-board contains some names familiar to Delta Groove fans, but we also get some surprising guests contributing. The complete line-up is; Kid Ramos, Armando Cortez, Kirk Fletcher, Kate Moss, Jeff Ross and Gonzalo Bergara on guitars, John Bazz, Tyler Pedersen, Rick Reed and Nick Moss on bass, Sonny Leland, Harunobu Tushida and Ron Dziu on piano, Richard Innes, James Gadsen and Greg Campbell on drums. We also get the great Rick Delgrosso on mandolin (one cut) and Ron Dziubla on saxes. (Richard Duran on bongos is actually Slim’s real name). Besides vocals and regular diatonic harp, Slim blows the mighty Chromatic harmonica on (just) one tune. Considering his skill on chromatic, I hoped to hear more of it on this disc but Slim doesn’t want to be known (pigeon-holed actually) as ‘a harmonica-player’. Of the 12 tracks, Slim just blows harp on 3, which might be a bit of a letdown for harmonica junkies but after listening to the whole album I was far from disappointed. Au contraire! And on the closing track, we get Slim on flute! Given the crew involved on Slim’s previous releases, one has somewhat of an idea of what to expect from this CD; swingin’ West Coast Blues of exceptionally High Calibre and that’s what we get (and more…). The opening cut “Well Alright, O.K. You Win” has Kid Ramos playing some cool, jazzy guitar and showing his versatility and broad range (he still slips in some ‘Nasty’ notes!) and Slim playing swingin’ chromatic. One of my favorite Clifton Chenier tunes from the 1950s, “Allnight Long”, has Kirk Fletcher on guitar and Rich Delgrosso on ‘Johnny Young-Mandolin”, and boy does it work. “Wee Baby Blues” is one of Big Joe Turner’s signature tunes and it’s slowed-down and given ‘after-hours’ treatment. “I’m Tired” is a jumpin’ Mickey Baker classic and Kid does lots of incendiary guitar injections of whammy-bar. Very Hot! “Nothin’ But The Blues” is an Ellington number with Ron Dziubla triple-tracking on saxes. “You’re A Pain” is an original, Jazzy, medium tempo dance-inducing (I can even see beatniks in berets doin’ the Crazy Walk…” Cool, man! The 5 Royales’ Masterpiece, “Say It” is a wonderful choice and it’s a standout in performance and passion. It’s a different sound from the rest of the album thanks to totally different cast and studio and the mysterious Armando Cortez on lead guitar (sounds very familiar with that biting lead work!) and Kate Moss on rhythm. Nick Moss plays bass, Harunobu Tushida tickles the ivories and Greg Campbell drums. Andre and Devon Thompson deliver excellent vocal chorus. “Me, Myself & I” is a Django-like Jazz/Pop ditty that features deft picking from Jeffrey Ross and Gonzalo Bergara with special guest James Gadsen on drums. “Across The Sea” is my favorite. Slim gets down into The Alley with some acoustic harp on top of distorted guitar from Kid. This one should be on The Shag Charts in North/South Carolina as it’s the perfect tempo Blues shuffle for shaking those hips and grindin’. Excellent stuff. “Not Your Clown” is a slide, groovin’ Jazzy number with nice drumming from Richard Innes. “I’m Sorry” is the coolest thing Bo Diddley ever did (Did-leyed?) but few are hip to it. It is so ‘50’s and one wonders what would’ve happened if East L.A. residents were the targeted audience (Chicano/low-rider anthem). Kid Ramos plays the reverb-laden guitar part perfectly. Finally, we get the closing track “You Never Cried For Me” a 1950’s-style cool Jazz number. Blues veteran Rick Reed plays bass and Kirk Fletcher picks some pretty guitar. Surprise; the flute is played by Lynwood Slim and he’s pretty good on it. This is actually a perfect Blues/Jazz hybrid and a fitting closing number. So, Lynwood Slim delivers the unexpected and it’s all done in regal fashion. It’s either a Jazzy Blues album or Bluesy Jazz one…but it’s very fine indeed. 5 Bottles of wine for Lynwood Slim’s latest and another feather in Delta Groove’s cap.