The opening bars of "Swingin' All Night Long" grab your attention with an explosive combination of harp and horns. The Blues Fools proceed to swing their way through a tune that could quite easily have come from the pen of the late, great William Clarke. In fact, it is the first of 11 (out of 12) original tracks. They follow it with a more jump blues oriented number ("Fat Mama Boogie") before a real boogie (a la Canned Heat) on "Too Tight To Tame", where the band's excellent guitarist Laszlo "Jack" Horvath handles vocals.

Band leader, Matt Pribojszki, is something of a harp maestro, and shows off his more mellow side on the classy cool jazz of "Coffee Break". After Toots Thielemans meets jump blues on "Foolin' Around", the horn section are reintroduced for the album's only cover track, a belting version of Slim Harpo's "Dynamite".

The album then provides a breather, with the low key piano dominated "Soul Stealin' Mama". They then shuffle their way through "Bad Things About You", before the jazz influence resurfaces on "Sharp Dressed Boogie Boy".

Eventually the horns return to round it all off in fine style on "High Class Baby". It is another real swinger, blending harp and horns in perfect harmony once more. The band certainly know how to write a catchy hook line, and this one just leaves you reaching out to punch the replay button.

With "On The Move" the Blues Fools have moved on to a higher plane. This time around, the band have broadened their base to include swing and jazz elements which add to the band's overall sound. The end result is a very good album, from a very tight unit, that is well worth checking out (try their web site www.bluesfools.com) They may be from Hungary, but "On The Move" shows any doubters that the Blues Fools know and can play the blues.

This review is copyright © 2001 by Gordon Baxter, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.