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ROD
PIAZZA "FOR THE CHOSEN WHO" (CD/DVD)
Source: Blues & Rhythm
Magazine
Date: 07/2005
Writer: Phil Wight |
For
his debut for Delta Groove, Piazza has taken a step
back to his roots and produced a hard-hitting album
in a more traditional style, concentrating mostly on
covers with only four originals. The current version
of The Mighty Flyers comprises Honey Alexander, Henry
Carvajal, Bill Stuve and Paul Fasulo. Guests on board
include Johnny Dyer, Kid Ramos, Finis Tasby, Phil Guy
and James Gadson.
The
opener is a lazily swinging Jimmy Reed number with
Ramos sitting in while track two is a Ted Jarrett
penned ballad with the femme backup singers wailing
sweetly. ‘Broken Hearted Blues’ and ‘Trace
of You’ are tributes to the late Jimmy Rogers,
Piazza gets the vocal and harp spot on and Ramos gets
a couple of solo choruses on ‘Heart’.
‘She Made My Blood Run Cold’ is an Ike
Turner composition, it’s a tale of a gal ‘who
took all the life right out of his soul’, think
I know her!
Honker
Red Prysock is the source for the swinging instrumental
‘Shoestring’ and the Sonny Boy (John Lee)
Williamson catalogue is plundered for a laid back
down home take on his ‘Ground Hog Blues’.
Rod does the harp bit and does a vocal duet with Johnny
Dyer on Little Walter’s ‘Got To Find My
Baby’.
The
Flyers rhythm section is replaced by Phil Guy on lead
guitar, Finis Tasby on bass and James Gadson on drums
on the four originals (two by Rod Piazza, one by Honey
Piazza and one by Randy Chortkoff). ‘Description
Of A Fool’ is a funky shuffle with David Woodruff’s
honking sax featured; ‘Honey’s Blues’
is an instrumental feature for the lady’s outstanding
keyboard virtuosity; on ‘Call Me Dangerous’
Piazza hands over the harp blowing to album co-producer
Randy Chortkoff. The closer, ‘Blues Player’
is a Piazza original; it’s an autobiographical
theme with a New Orleans feeling. Woodruff parps in
the background on the baritone sax and Guy contributes
two and a bit perfectly formed choruses (why oh why
did this number have to fade, it’s so mellow
I’d have taken it to its conclusion!).
This
disc has never been off my player since it arrived,
it eclipses by a country mile some of Piazza’s
recent product. A triumphal debut for Piazza on Delta
Groove I’d have to say, there’s been a
slew of bloody good harp CDs this year so far, however
if this disc does not make it into the top three on
my personal listing something VERY good will have
to come along before the end of the year.And to add
a little bit of icing to the cake, you also get a
bonus DVD featuring studio footage, a run through
of two complete numbers and a stills gallery, so what
are you waiting for?
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