THE MANNISH BOYS "SHAKE FOR ME" Source: Blues & Rhythm Magazine Date: 04/2010 Writer: Phil Wight

The Mannish Boys this time out line up with Finis Tasby and Bobby Jones on vocals; Randy Chortkoff on harp; Kirk ‘Eli’ Fletcher and Paris Slim on lead, slide, and rhythm guitars; Willie J. Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums. Guest ‘Boys’ include Johnny Dyer, Rod Piazza, Nick Curran, Arthur Adams, Rob Rio and Fred Kaplan.

Opening with a stunning version of ‘Too Tired’ that gives Johnny Guitar Watson’s version a run for its money (and I never thought I find myself stating that!), Finis Tasby delivers a raunchy vocal and the guitar role is delegated to stable mate Nick Curran. Next up is a medley: ‘Mona-Willie And The Hand Jive’, Bobby Jones sings ‘Mona’ and Mike Zito does the chugging guitar and sings ‘Hand Jive’, this bad boy is sure to get radio play. Finis Tasby sings another classic, ‘Reconsider Baby’, Frank Goldwasser delivers the lead guitar part this time and Tasby injects just the right amount or worldly weariness into this Lowell Fulson original.

‘Educated Ways’ is an Elmore styled original penned by Randy Chortkoff, Goldwasser plays the slide part and Bobby Jones renders a robust vocal. ‘Half Ain’t Been Told’ (Otis Spann/St. Louis Jimmy) features Jones’ vocal backed only by Rob Rio’s superb Spann influenced piano. Goldwasser steps up to the mike, backed only by Jimi Bott’s drums on a thrash through Tarheel Slim’s rockabilly classic, ‘Number 9 Train’. ‘Last Night’ features Rod Piazza on the Little Walter harmonica part, Tasby does the vocals. Ray Charles’ ‘Hey Now’ spotlights Kirk Fletcher’s T-Bone inspired guitar part, Jones does the vocal.

Next cut is definitely the pick of the litter, with Kirk Fletcher in full-overblown Willie Johnson mode, Chortkoff on harp, and Bobby Jones adopting a suitably Wolfish tone, ‘You Can’t Be Beat’ is flawless, man I can’t wait to hit the replay button time after time! With Dave ‘Woody’ Woodford mooing in the background on tenor sax, and Fletcher’s sprightly guitar licks, Fats Washington’s ‘Black Nights’ is given a suitably weary vocal treatment by Tasby, another winner all the way!

Next up is ‘The Bullet’, a jumping, boppish instrumental feature for guitarists Fletcher and Curran, followed by a George ‘Harmonica’ Smith styled number. ‘Those Worries’, another Randy Chortkoff original with Jones at the vocal mic and Chortkoff blowing harp. Arthur Adams is guitarist and vocalist of choice on his own composition, ‘Raunchy’, while Johnny Dyer is featured on vocal with Mitch Kashmar on harp on Muddy’s ‘Champagne & Reefer’.

Penultimate number is Joe Scott’s ‘You’ve Got Bad Intentions’, with swaggering horns, Fletcher’s in-yer-face guitar and a BIG vocal from Jones, maybe not quite the equal of Bobby Bland, but it runs it a close second, it really is that good – ‘You can holler, cry and scream, till your face turn blue, get on your knees and crawl, woman, that won't help you’, aah, don’t you just hanker after the good old days when a simple statement of intent was enough to keep your squeeze in her place (just joking ladies!). The final cut, ‘Way Down South’ features a new name to me, vocalist/harp player Pieter ‘Big Pete’ van der Pluijm, who apparently hails from the land of clogs and barges (Big Pete did play Burnley in 2008 but I must have missed him). His main influence is Lester Butler and he is pretty good I have to say, but rather an odd choice for what has gone before.
This is the fifth Delta Groove release by the Mannish Boys, I have to say that there is no evidence of coasting, the guys are still as up for it and in your face as they were on their first CD, ‘That Represent Man’, released back in November 2004 (and I must admit it doesn’t seem like five years since they first came on the scene). If you have the previous four albums you can’t afford to miss this one, get it now, it really is that good!