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THE
MANNISH BOYS "THAT REPRESENT MAN"
Source: Blues & Rhythm
Magazine
Date: 06/2005
Writer: Phil Wight |
The
Mannish Boys (not to be confused with D. Bowie’s
group of the same name!) is an amalgam of West Coasters;
veterans Finis Tasby on vocals and pianist Leon Blue
(veteran of Ike and Tina Turner, Lowell Fulson, Albert
Collins bands), young hot shot guitar ace Kirk Fletcher,
and a hard swinging rhythm team of bass player Ronnie
James Weber and drummer June Core, along with transplanted
European Frank ‘Paris Slim’ Goldwasser.
Also on board are special guests harp man (and producer)
Randy Chortkoff, Johnny Dyer, Roy Gaines, Paul Oscher
and Mickey Champion.
Apart from Paul Oscher’s original ‘Blues
And Trouble’, all the songs on offer are covers;
reprising various styles including the Excello sound,
classic 1950s West Coast and Chicago and B.B. King style
swingers. Vocalist
Finis Tasby is featured on twelve songs. ‘Going
Crazy Over T.V.’ is the opener, Tasby wraps
his mellow pipes round Jimmy Anderson’s lyrics
and the ensemble get that lazy Excello sound spot
on. ‘Partin’ Time’ is a B.B King
slowie with Fletcher taking the lead guitar chore.
‘I’m A Lover Not a Fighter’ is another
Louisiana number, Chortkoff blows the harp on this
one and Core’s brush-driven drumming is spot
on. ‘It’s Too Bad’ is a Freddie
King-penned, late hours moody slow grind. ‘Strangest
Woman’, with its Latin tinged rhythm, parping
sax and high-octane guitar solo from Fletcher comes
from the pen of Jimmy Wilson. Leon Blue gets the chance
to show off his pipes on ‘You Been Goofin’’,
a tasty slab of supercharged r&b.
As for the guests, Johnny Dyer acquits himself well
on vox and harp on two Little Walter numbers, ‘Temperature’
and ‘You’re Sweet’. Roy Gaines sings
and plays lead guitar on Lonesome Sundown’s
‘I Had A Dream Last Night’, Paul Oscher
plays Muddy-style slide behind Tasby’s tough
vocals on ‘Blues And Trouble’ and singer
Mickey Champion does the biz on ‘The Eagle Is
Back’, personally I thinks she shouts rather
than sings and her offering is definitely the weakest
cut on this album.
However,
at seventeen tracks you get your money’s worth,
I did enjoy this CD a bunch and it certainly is recommended
if you like your blues on the retro side. |
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