ROD PIAZZA & MFBQ "THRILLVILLE" Source: Southland Blues Magazine Date: 08/2007 Writer: Jim Santella

Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers Blues Quar­tet combines the Chicago blues of Little Walter with plenty of West Coast Swing on this latest album, which features the same line-up that appeared in last year’s Battle of the Blues Harps XVIII: Henry Carvajal on guitar, Honey Piazza on piano and thunder bass, Dave Kida on drums, and Piazza leading with vocals and harmonica. Twin tenors Jonny Viau and Allen Ortiz lend an authentic saxophone sound; particularly on the swing and boogie-woogie numbers.

This band just keeps on getting better and better. Pi­azza enters New Orleans on “MFBQ,” which lights up a Mardi Gras parade in a mat­ter of minutes. “Hate to See You Go” and “Sad Hours” pay homage to the memo­ry of Little Walter, while “Stranger Blues” comes from Elmore James and “Hoodoo Man Blues” takes us back to Junior Wells. What Piazza does with Wil­lie Dixon’s “I Don’t Play” gives the band a chance to dive into Chicago again for a dramatic affair. Piazza has moved into some serious blues this time out, along with his usual West Coast jump blues for appeal. It all works quite well for him and his Mighty Flyers. I, for one, am looking forward to catching them at the annual Battle of the Blues Harps in November.