THE MANNISH BOYS Source: Big City Blues Magazine (The Mannish Boys Cover Story) Date: 12/2007

THE MANNISH BOYS - BACK IN THE DELTA

One of the most exciting blues acts to emerge in the last few years is The Mannish Boys, a flexible cooperative made up of some of the finest blues artists on the West Coast scene today.  In at least one respect, these Mannish Boys will probably go down in blues history in the same way as Hound Dog Taylor: a major independent record label was initially brought into existence for the sole purpose of releasing their music.  In the case of the Mannish Boys, it’s Delta Groove, a label that was started by their producer to release their music when no other label could be found for their initial recordings.  The Mannish Boys have now released three widely acclaimed CDs on Delta Groove, and earned universally high marks for their exciting live shows at blues festivals across North America and Europe.  The mastermind behind The Mannish Boys is harp player and entrepreneur Randy Chortkoff, who occasionally fronts the band as well as acting as the emcee, and producing all of the band’s recordings.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?  Did the Mannish Boys start out as a recording project, or was it a live band first?

“Well, we did the recording first.  I had an idea for a record I wanted to do, featuring a lot of the people I’d gotten to know and enjoy on the West Coast blues scene over the years.  I didn’t ever think we’d go out and perform, I just wanted to make a great record with the best players I knew.  I never thought there would be a sequel, or that we’d tour the world, or that we’d even play any gigs together.
The concept originally came out of these live shows I used to put together.  There were people I really wanted to see, and instead of waiting for them to come around and do a gig, I started putting some shows together myself, putting together combinations of these different people who complemented each other.  I’d been fortunate to have gotten to know some of the greatest blues players out here [in California], so I would put together a rhythm section or a whole band, and then bring in the frontman. And it developed from there.as long as I had this great band together, why not have a couple of different people up front, make it more like a revue?  I did some shows like that, and it eventually developed into the annual Little Walter Tribute / Blues Hall of Fame shows that I produced for over a decade.  And then I decided, since I had everyone together, it made sense to record them.  Out of that came some of my first CD projects, Billy Boy Arnold, King Ernest and Finis Tasby, which I produced, and then made deals with labels to put them out.

So I had that experience, and I wanted to do a CD with some of my favorite people out here that I’d worked with on various projects.  I was hoping some label would like it and put it out, but I hadn’t thought about the prospect of doing any sequels, or taking the band out on the road.  I think that’s the beauty of it.  It’s taken on a life of its own, it wasn’t planned, and that’s how most great things happen.  I didn’t sit down and scheme and make a master plan.  It was just something that came out of these musicians playing with each other, and coming together as a band that had a great sound none of their other projects had.

The original rhythm section was June Core and Ronnie Weber.a really great rhythm section, but after we recorded the first Mannish Boys sessions, they had to get back to their other bands, June with Charlie Musselwhite, and Ronnie with The Fabulous T-Birds, which keeps them pretty busy.  So then the rhythm section became Tom Leavey on bass and Richard Innes on drums, and that’s been pretty steady since then.  Frank Goldwasser and Kirk Fletcher love each other’s playing, and I thought it would be great to put them together and hear them play off of each other, and that worked out beautifully, as you can hear on the first CD.  I also knew I wanted to bring in some veterans, some elder statesmen, and because I felt that it would bring everyone up to another level, combining the young and the old, the new and the seasoned, so I brought in Finis Tasby, Leon Blue on piano, of course my buddy Johnny Dyer on harp and vocals, Roy Gaines, Mickey Champion, and Paul Oscher.  So it was more just like a sampling of West Coast blues, just a fun recording project.  I seemed like it would sound great and be a lot of fun.  With no thought of three CDs later and world tours being in the picture.  With June and Ronnie working with other bands, I didn’t think there was a possibility of touring because everyone was touring with someone else, and I think that’s why the other labels turned it down. you have to have a band touring and promoting CDs from the bandstand now.  So the idea of making it into a touring band wasn’t even in the picture at first.”

What were your criteria when you were deciding who you wanted in the band?

“Selfish motives.  They’re just my personal favorites, and I wanted to hear them together.  On the second record, when we brought Kid Ramos on, I used to love him with James Harman and Hollywood Fats back in the ‘80s, and then he went on and joined the T-Birds, and then did all of his solo stuff, I was a fan through all of that, and he thrilled me.  And still does.  As for Frank [Goldwasser], he’s about as greasy and ghetto as you can get, he’s not afraid to take chances and makes mistakes.  He’s an amazing player technically, but he’s totally ghetto!  He’s not like a lot of the other West Coast guys, who come out of a more sophisticated thing, the Tiny Grimes school and all that.  Frank’s influences are later than the really  old time guys.I mean, he studied Lockwood and Jimmy Rogers and the Myers  brothers, but he leans more towards the guys he played with in Oakland, the next generation of players.

And I want to capture as much of Johnny Dyer as I can while he’s still in his prime.  He’s really the last connection to that ‘50s era of Chicago blues that I love.  I can’t get enough of him, and he’s such a wonderful guy.  He really IS the “Mannish Boy” - that’s been one of his featured songs every time we perform, and no disrespect to any other singers out there today, but I think he’s just about the only person who can really get away with doing it these days.  I mean, he’s from Rolling Fork, where Muddy was born, and he spent time on Stovall’s Plantation when he was younger. as far as blues credentials, it just doesn’t get any deeper than that.  When he sings, his phrasing sounds just like Muddy’s, but he’s not imitating Muddy, he’s singing that way because it’s who he is and where he’s from and  how he learned, exactly the same reasons Muddy sounded that way.”

For a band that wasn’t intended to tour, you’ve played some pretty big gigs now.  How’s that been going?

“The reaction from the audiences has been phenomenal.  Really, everywhere we go, we’re just blown away by the enthusiasm of the crowds and the reception they give the band.  One of the greatest experiences was playing before a sold out audience at a big festival in Cognac, France. Joe Cocker was the headliner, and everyone was there to see him, they didn’t even know who we were.  Something happened with the band that was supposed to open for him, and we were basically a stand in, they just put us in that slot because they had to.  It was a real litmus test, to see if we could win over an audience that was there to see someone else.  By the end of our set, the crowd was going crazy. they were chanting our name and stomping their feet,  demanding an encore!  It was incredible. this capacity crowd, and they didn’t want to let us go.  It was a shot in the arm that took us too the next level.

And the word is getting out there, because the shows have been so stellar, we’re really starting to get some attention.  When we were in Norway at the Nottoden Blues Festival, they asked us to play the opening ceremonies, and we did a great show, and then we immediately got booked for this cruise, and then we just got another call to play the King Biscuit Blues  Festival. well, it’s now called the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival.  Then our good friends at the Labatt Blues Fest in Edmonton, which never books bands twice, called us back to do their 10th anniversary.  It’s got us really fired up, and we’re entertaining people to the max.  We did a great show at the Long Beach Blues Fest last year, and at Doheney the year before, the  reviews for the live shows were stellar.  So we’ve had some really high profile live shows, and we’re very grateful that people are loving our brand of blues.”

You’ve just released the third Mannish Boys CD.how is it different from the others, and how has the response been?

“”Big Plans” has just come out, and the response it’s been getting is just magic.  People have told me they can listen to it over and over, which as far as I’m concerned is the highest praise you can get.  I really think “Big Plans” is a killer record, it’s got such diversity.I was able to  bring in Jody Williams from Chicago, a real legend on guitar, he played on  some of the classic recordings from Howling Wolf, Bo Diddley, Billy Boy  Arnold and a lot more, plus his own records going back to the ‘50s.  We also brought in a great blues singer named Bobby Jones, he spent a lot of time on the Chicago blues scene in the late ‘50s and ‘60.  And some of our local favorites helped out too, Rob Rio is featured on piano, and sings one too, and Rick Holmstrom is a guest on guitar.  It was great to be able to feature some amazing guests and a variety of sounds, in addition to Finis and Johnny, who of course do a great job as always, and have been with us from the beginning.

I’m really happy with the sound too.I recorded the whole thing 100%  analog, and it sounds so alive.  It was recorded in a great studio that represented a true live sound.  I have to give credit for the choice of material  too;

Jeff Scott Fleanor, also known as Jeff Scott on the radio out here, he helped produce it, and helped choose the material.  He has a great record collection, and dug pretty deep to come up with some really interesting material.  We’ve got some good original songs too, I’ve been doing more writing lately. I wrote three for Phillip Walker’s last CD. I’ve got a  couple of new ones on the CD, our bass player Tom Leavey wrote one, and Jody Williams recorded an original too, so there’s a good variety of  material.  I’m as happy with this as any project I’ve done.”

What’s next?

“Well, I can’t wait to go into the studio and do our next CD, and feature Bobby Jones on more vocals.  And we’re starting to book up the festival season for next summer already, so there’s a lot more good stuff to come!”