THE MANNISH BOYS "SHAKE FOR ME" Source: Big City Blues Magazine Date: 06/2010 Writer: Roger & Margaret White

As Delta Groove Records celebrates its fifth year, it's flagship group The Mannish Boys release their fourth CD Shake For Me. The brainchild of Groove owner Randy Chortkoff, his dream of showcasing the blues as black and white, young and old using a revolving crew of the best west coast players. Fronting this band is a trio of veteran blues and soul singers, Finis Tasby from Texas, Bobby Jones out of Chicago and Mississippi Johnny Dyer. The core of the band is Frank “Paris Slim” Goldwasser and Kirk Fletcher on guitars, Fred Kaplan's from the Hollywood Fats Band on piano, and a rhythm section of new members Jimi Bott drums and Willie J. Campbell bass with special guests sprinkled through out. These Boys have put together a sixteen song collection of rare blues tunes and a few original keeping them all fresh and alive.

With three main vocalists and three special guest singers, lets start with the original Mannish Boy, Finis Tasby. Starting as a drummer and bassist in Texas backing Clarence Carter, Lowell Fulson and Freddie King, Tasby moved to L. A. in the ’70s to work with B.B. King, Percy Mayfield, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker and releasing the CDs "People Don't Care" on Shanachie and an early Chortkoff production "Jump Children" on Evidence. Headlining on four cuts Finis sounds anything but, “Too Tired” which also features young buck Nick Curran on blistering guitar and a horn section. Tasby takes on Lowell Fulson's “Reconsider Baby” with an easy swagger over the horns as Kaplan's piano punctuates the vocals and Frank Goldwasser tops off the guitar. The moody “Last Night” written by Little Walter Jacobs features the harp of Rod Piazza while both Kirk Fletcher and Goldwasser play duel leads one on each channel of your stereo. For the final Tasby number “Black Nights” the horns return as Kirk Fletcher steps up to the lead guitar.

Taking on the majority of the vocals is recent addition Bobby Jones, he was featured singer with Dave and Louis Myers legendary Aces in the 50's, Jody Williams and Syl Johnson in the‘60s and  recently released “Comin' Back Hard” on Delta Groove. Kicking off on a medley of the classics “Mona / Willie and the Hand Jive,” Mike Ziti shares the vocals and supplies lead guitar. The Chortkoff penned “Educated Ways” sounds like a lost Elmore James cut with Goldwasser's slide, “Woody” Woodford baritone sax and Jones coming on like a young Howlin' Wolf. Then Jones covers the Wolf's “You Can't Be Beat” with Kirk Fletcher sounding like Willie Johnson and Randy Chortkoff on hard blown harp. Chortkoff’s second tune “Those Worries” features the duel harps of Chortkoff and Lynwood Slim playing chromatic over Kaplan's piano, Goldwasser's slide, and the vocals have a touch of Bobby Bland. Jones also covers Bland's “You've Got Bad Intentions” and keeps it smooth on the Ray Charles number “Hey Now.”   Bobby Jones supplies his last vocals on this duo with the heavy left hand of Rob Rio on piano for Otis Spann's “Half Ain't Been Told.”

Providing one song each, Johnny Dyer steps up to the mic for Muddy Waters “Champagne & Reefer.” Dyer was raised on the Stovall Plantation in Mississippi where Muddy had also spent his share cropper years, with Mitch Kashmar supplies harmonica while Fletcher and Goldwasser again have duel leads. Singer, song writer, session player and new to the Delta Groove stable with "Stomp The Floor" Arthur Adams gets “Raunchy” with his vocals and lead guitar as Chortkoff blows harmonica. Goldwasser handles vocals and guitar as he takes us on the “Number 9 Train.” And, the sole instrumental “The Bullet” takes off like a shot with Kirk Fletcher and Nick Curran trading licks as Fred Kaplan provides a rolling piano and even Jimi Bott takes a drum solo.

The Mannish Boys may be seen by some as blues preservationists keeping the classic styles alive but one listen revels the energy is no recreation and the singers were there from the start. “Shake For Me” is not a polite request it's admonishment you won't be able to resist.