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THE
MANNISH BOYS "THAT REPRESENT MAN"
Source: Bad Dog Blues
Date: 012/2004
Writer: Jeff
Harris |
The
current West Coast blues scene is rich in blues talent
and there have been some terrific records from West
Coast bluesman and blues ladies in recent years. A good
chunk of that talent can been found in a West Coast
super group who calls themselves The Mannish
Boys and who have just issued their debut,
"That Represent Man", which is hands down
one of the year's finest albums. The term super group
usually refers to some top heavy, bloated rock aggregation
but the term is used in the best sense here . The Mannish
Boys feature the absolute cream of the crop of West
Coast blues veterans and young bloods. The core group
includes: Finis Tasby (vocals), Kirk Fletcher (guitar),
Frank Goldwasser (guitar), Leon Blue (piano), Ronnie
Weber (bass) and June Core (drums). The album also features
special guest appearances by: Roy Gaines (vocals &
guitar), Johnny Dyer (vocals & harmonica), Mickey
Champion (vocals), Paul Oscher (guitar) and Randy Chortkoff
(harmonica).
Headlining this talented group is the great Finis Tasby,
a guy who can flat out sing the blues and who should
have a much higher profile . Tasby's been at it since
the early 60'swhere he moved from Dallas to Los Angeles
in the early 70's forming a group that opened for the
likes of B.B. King, Percy Mayfield and Big Mama Thornton.
Tasby recorded several singles in the 1970s and '80s
and cut his first full length record in 1995 for Shanachie
followed by the excellent "Jump Children"
for Evidence in 1998. Tasby's profile has got a boost
recently turning in fine vocals performances on records
by Kirk Fletcher and Enrico Crivellaro and his most
recent solo effort, "Blues - A Tribute To John
Lee Hooker", which was one of last year's best
overlooked records. Tasby takes the vocals on on the
bulk of the cuts. The other vocal chores are taken up
by powerful harp blower and vocalist Johnny Dyer on
two cuts plus one apiece by legendary Texas guitarist
Roy Gaines, L.A. vocalist Mickey Champion and veteran
pianist Leon Blue. Blue has done stints with Albert
Collins, Ike and Tina Turner Revue and numerous others.
Guitarist Kirk Fletcher is one of the best of the younger
generation honing his chops in the bands of West Coast
veterans like Al Blake , Lynwood Slim, Junior Watson,
Jimmy Morello and most recently with Kim Wilson. Fletcher
made his debut with 1999's strong "I'm Here &
I'm Gone" for the JSP label and the even "Shades
Of Blue" released last year as an import and just
released domestically.
If you're looking for real deal blues this is it as
the group tackles some great lesser known tunes from
diverse artists like Smokey Smothers, Little Walter,
B.B. King plus West Coast legends like Jimmy Nolan,
Jimmy Wilson and Johnny "Guitar" Watson among
others. Tasby is a soulful, understated vocalist and
great interpreter as he tackles a wide range of material
including swamp blues on Jimmy Anderson's loping, hilarious
"Going Crazy Over T.V.", Lazy Lester's equally
humorous "I'm A Lover Not A Fighter" both
featuring some fine Jimmy Reed styled harp from Randy
Chortkoff ,hard edged Chicago blues on a tough cover
of Smokey Smothers' "Come On Rock Little Girl",
Freddie King's lowdown classic "It's Too Bad"
plus a pair of dead on B.B. covers including a marvelous
"Partin' Time' with impeccable B.B. toned guitar
from Kirk Fletcher. Other vocalists are equally good
including fabulous pianist Leon Blue who sings wonderfully
on the jazzy West Coast swing of Jimmy Nolan's "You
Been Goofin'" and Johnny Dyer who nails Little
Walter's "Temperature" blowing some uncanny
Walter like amplified harp. My favorite, though, is
wonderful veteran L.A. singer Mickey Champion who's
version of Johnny Watson's "The Eagle Is Back"
is a stunner. Champion has huge, booming voices with
plenty of sass, and grit that bears a strong resemblance
to the great Esther Phillips. Champion, by the way,
put out a great record at the tail end of 2002 called
"What You Want" that was one of the year's
best if overlooked blues recordings.
The Mannish Boys is an all-star group in every sense
and the whole record comes off spectacularly. A big
hats off goes to Randy Chortkoff, the mastermind behind
this incredible project. While all members of the group
have their own bands let's hope they find time to get
together now again as this is too good to simply be
a one time event. |
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