THE MANNISH BOYS "BIG PLANS" Source: Blues & Rhythm Magazine Date: 05/2007 Writer: Phil Wight

The Mannish Boys are back with the follow up studio album to their Delta Groove debut, ‘That Represent Man’. With the new album, ‘Big Plans’, they have enlisted some special guests including guitarist Jody Williams and vocalist Bobby Jones, who worked with Jody Williams in the 1950s, as well as with Dave and Louis Myers of the Aces. Also featured are Finis Tasby, Johnny Dyer, Rick Holmstrom, Kid Ramos, Kirk ‘Eli’ Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser, Mitch Kashmar, Randy Chortkoff, Leon Blue, Rob Rio, Larry Taylor, Jeff Turmes, Tom Leavey and Richard Innes. The vocal chores are split between Tasby, Dyer, Goldwasser, Williams, Blue, Jones, Rio, and Chortkoff so there is plenty of variety on offer!

Tasby opens the set with a hard charging run through Long John Hunter’s ‘Border Town Blues’, with Fletcher getting a couple of solos on lead guitar. ‘I Can’t Stay Here’ is a Goldwasser original (based on a Charley Patton song with the ‘feel like chopping, chips flying everywhere’ line), Goldwasser is on vocals and is featured on slide on a real old-fashioned downhome blues. Tasby is again on vox on ‘I Get So Worried’; originally recorded by T-Bone Walker, Kid Ramos is handed the keys to the kingdom and plays the T-Bone licks.

Veteran vocalist Bobby Jones has been absent from the blues scene in Chicago for many years, however this comeback should propel him into the headlights. He is a really excellent singer and demonstrates his talents on the Tom Leavey original, ‘Mary Jane’, and Wolf’s ‘California Blues’ (Mitch Kashmar featured on harp). Just where has this guy been, welcome back Bobby! Johnny Dyer gets his vocal slot (and overdubs harp) on ‘Just To Be With You’ (written by Bernard Roth and cut by Muddy), and he also contributes a nice relaxed reading of Jimmy Rogers’ ‘Broken Hearted Blues’ (Mitch Kashmar providing the harp this time). Rick Holmstrom spanks the plank on Dyer’s two songs.
Leon Blue steps up to the mike on ‘Gotta Move’, with Goldwasser laying down the Elmore riffs and Blue tinkling the ivories. Jody Williams is featured vocalist on his own song, ‘Groan My Blues Away’ (first recorded 52 years ago!), and a new composition, ‘Young & Tender’, specially penned for him by Randy Chortkoff for this session. Jody is in superb form, ripping off chorus after fluid chorus behind his velvet-textured vocals. Chortkoff blows harp and sings on ‘Mine All Mine’, another of his own compositions; Kid Ramos is featured on slide on this tale of a girl who has ‘Elgin movements’ and ‘shapely hips that sure can grind’.

Finis Tasby pays homage to Otis Rush on ‘My Baby’s A Good ‘Un’, Kirk Fletcher plays rhythm this time out and hands the lead guitar chore to the immensely talented Kid Ramos. Finally, Tasby contributes one of his own numbers, ‘Walkin’ Down Fillmore’ is a tough, grinding twelve-bar. Tasby’s vocal contributions have to be one of the high spots of this set, swaggering, confident, with just the right amount of in-the-alley cockiness.

The Mannish Boys are a combination of veteran bluesmen with young (and some not so young) players, the whole combining to produce another superb CD that all at Delta Groove can be justly proud of. Step forward and take a bow producer Randy Chortkoff, engineer Doug Messenger and all concerned. Oh, I forgot to mention the finest drummer on the coast, a round of applause for Richard ‘Big Foot’ Innes!