THE MANNISH BOYS "LOWDOWN FEELIN" Source: The Blues Ambassador | Capital Area Blues Society Date: 12/2009 Writer: Steve Bachleda

The Mannish Boys are sort of a blues supergroup.  They don’t really break any new ground but they plow the old ground mighty well.  If there is an equivalent in blues to the jazz quality of “swing”, this band has it.  They pick choice material, provide plenty of virtuoso variety (six singers, four harmonicats, six guitarists, two bassists along with drums, keyboards, and horns as well), and manage to impart some special flavors to the classics while keeping the arrangements similar to the original recordings.  “These Kinds of Blues” opens with a flamenco guitar flourish and a trumpet soaked in Spain before launching into the tried and true Butterfield approach.  “Searchin’ Blues” is a Randy Chortkoff original but the riffs have Robert Johnson written all over them.  Frank Goldwasser’s slide dishes out the Robert mojo but with some electricity added.  Kid Ramos donates some T-Bone vibe to “Lowdown Feeling”.

Bobby Jones does a cool Wolf-like vocal on “Chocolate Drop” while Chortkoff lays into Wolf’s harmonica licks.  Goldwasser does the stand.