ROD PIAZZA & MFBQ "THRILLVILLE" Source: Livng Blues Magazine Date: 11/2007 Writer: Roger Gatchet

ThrillVille, Rod Piazza’s second offering on the Delta Groove label, further solidifies the harp master’s position in the pantheon of West Coast blues greats. Did you expect anything less? After four decades in the business, the man who learned from California legend George “Harmonica” Smith himself has demonstrated a consistent ability to both dazzle audiences with his electric live performances and create albums that satisfy the heartiest blues appetites, all the while building and expanding on his previous work.
   
Of course, one cannot speak of Piazza without giving credit to his stellar band, the Mighty Flyers. The newest incarnation—now called the Mighty Flyers Blues Quartet after the absence of longtime bassist Bill Stuve—features Flyers veteran Honey Piazza handling both bass and piano duties, Henry Carvajal on guitar, and Dave Kida on drums. Despite recent changes in the lineup, Piazza and company work together like a well-oiled machine on the 14 killer tracks that grace their newest release.

Little Walter and Slim Harpo, two of Piazza’s early influences, get the West Coast treatment on the album opener Hate To See You Go/Shake Your Hips. The track is followed by one of Piazza’s signature-style chromatic-driven instrumentals, Westcoaster, a relaxed medium-tempo groove fused with Carvajal’s tasteful guitar work. Blues harp devotees will also want to check out Snap Crackle Hop, an energetic instrumental pushed by both Piazza’s magic on harmonica and Honey’s prowess on the keys.
   
Piazza rolls out the funk for MFBQ, goes 1950s old-school on Sugar, and delivers a sweet cover of the classic Hoodoo Man Blues that Billy Boy Arnold commented was one of the best he’d ever heard. The Civilian, a rare instrumental gem composed by Carvajal, opens with a dreamy jazz interlude before launching into a smooth West Coast shuffle, Kida’s swinging drumbeat keeping perfect time for Carvajal’s inspired guitar solos. The record closes with a spot-on take of Little Walter’s Sad Hours, a refreshing instrumental blues that will transport listeners to 1950s Chicago and the Chess Records studios. ThrillVille will hold its own against the strongest entries in Piazza’s long discography and is a fine exemplar of West Coast blues done right.