Long Island bluesman Michael Manne and his band Tiger Blues Band is hot locally, and seeking to fly further afield with the release of this effort. Deciding to do a batch of well-chosen standards and covers, Manne and company do their best to set any place aflame with its interactive audience participation and satisfaction. Stretching the studio time to get just that perfect-live feel. Manne and the Band wring every song for what it's worth!
Manne pushes his fender and Gibson guitars, and carries the vocal load. The Tiger Blues Band is Ken Clayton on rhythm guitar, Tony Fucci on the bass, and drummer Paul Colucci. Additional musicians are: Jim Kolman on rhythm guitar for three cuts; Nick Singu on the keyboards on four tracks; C.C. Taylor singin' lead vocals on "Kansas City," and background vocals on one other; and Bill Coleman the harmonica player pipes up two cuts.
A rollickin' jump styled "Everyday I have The Blues" blasts from the pad, soon followed by Manne's punctuating guitar licks on "Sweet Little Angel". Adventuresome phrasings make "I'll Play The Blues For You" a smoothly-picked number, while the heartbreakin' "Same Thing" has the Tiger Blues Band in synchronous musical ecstasy! What a blast! B.B.'s "Three O'clock In The Morning" takes a similar slow gait with fine picking and a superbly-balanced bottom. Further highlights have to include Freddie King's "Hideaway", Leiber & Stoller's "Kansas City", and Willie Dixon's "Little Red Rooster".
Someone's got the blues in Long Island; and it's certain the Tiger Blues Band may be spreading it around. Michael Manne shows this blues axe adeptness, and the band is guilty of aiding and abetting him. For a bunch of worn covers, there's an awful lot of energy in this packet. New Yorkers have got a fine musical therapist with plenty of blues medicine to dispense. Put the new Tiger Blues Band platter on, then sit back and relax with some New Yorker blues.
Blues Artist Records; P.O. Box 0165; Long Island, M.B.N.Y. 11951-0165:
or, www.tigerblues.com
Simply click on the CD cover at left to order this CD NOW!
This review is copyright © 2002 by Mark A. Cole, and Blues On Stage at: www.mnblues.com, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission.
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