ROD PIAZZA & MFBQ "THRILLVILLE" Source: Big City Blues Date: 07/2007 Writer: Gary von Tersch

5 Hats

     A new Rod Piazza album is always cause for celebration and this one, his second for Delta Groove, is no exception. Riverside, California native Piazza, whose large-toned, stratospheric harmonica style owes a lot to Chicago’s Little Walter (who he nods to here with revivals of both “Hate To See You Go” and the set-closing, last-call instrumental favorite “Sad Hours”) and George “Harmonica” Smith (who Piazza toured with as Bacon Fat from 1965 to 1980) is sharply backed by the trio of guitarist Henry Carvajal, drummer Dave Kida (making his Flyers debut) and, of course, Rod’s boogie woogie piano and “thunder bass” playing wife Honey. Muscular sax work by the team of Jonny Viau and Allen Ortiz embellishes a few tracks as well.

     Other Windy City bluesy covers include a riveting reincarnation of Junior Wells’ trademark “Hoodoo Man Blues” (great right-hand deliberate piano playing) and Elmore James’ hypnotic “Stranger Blues,” with Piazza and Carvajal adopting a Sonny Terry/Brownie McGhee styled stance. Catherine Hodge’s R&B ballad “It Can’t Be True” switches the ambience back to the West Coast 1950s group sound with an especially soulful, thrusting Piazza vocal atop affairs while it’s back to Chicago for the exuberant “I Don’t Pay,” another horsepower-heavy Little Walter vehicle.

     A pair of new instrumentals effectively couple spontaneity with creativity with Carvajal shining on his “The Civilian” and Piazza blowing the back off his chromatic Mississippi saxophone on a reflective homage to George Smith titled “Westcoaster.” Also noted are the frenetically paced harp/guitar workout “Snap Crackle Hop” and the West Memphis-locused “Get Wise,” with Kida’s spirited drumwork marvelously pushing the rest of the MFBQ along. Even after more than four decades on the scene, Piazza continues to surprise with each new project. And don’t miss the quartet when they visit your town on their current worldwide tour. More info, audio clips and photos are available at deltagroovemusic.com