I recently watched a Howlin’ Wolf DVD and was amazed at the fact that he was quite the family man and not the gun toting bully that his songs and stories emanated. Sometimes the big men are gentle giants. Nick Moss is just that, a family bluesman. In the spirit of Howlin’ Wolf he can kill the blues guitar like the best of them, but when it comes to life, family is always first. “Sadie Mae”, Nick’s latest effort on Blue Bella Records, speaks to his love of family in the title track, a song dedicated to his newborn daughter Sadie Mae. But let’s not underestimate Nick’s dedication to the blues.
Nick Moss is one of the hardest working bluesman around playing hundreds of dates a year and pushing out three quality records in the past three years. And there is no one living who can play and write vintage Chicago Blues like Nick Moss. On each record, Nick assembles quality players (The Flip Tops) that capture the Chicago sound that makes you feel like you’re in the original Checkerboard Lounge sipping a bourbon. Nick’s Robert Johnson style vocals, biting tube-amp guitar, and Chicago rhythm anchor down each song on “Sadie Mae”. And Nick is subtle and versatile, knowing when to kick in a solo and when to showcase his band. His songwriting is as strong as ever, telling blues tales that are both upbeat and down and out. Pathos is the quality that would best describe the overall feel of Nick’s sound and presentation, that sad empathy that is the antithesis of the Chicago blues.
A younger veteran of the Chicago Blues scene, supporting Jimmy Rogers for years and playing and learning from the best Chicago Blues artists, Nick pulls no punches on the 16 tracks on Sadie Mae. The Flip Tops, Nick’s working band, include pianist Bob Welsh, formerly with Charlie Musselwhite and Rusty Zinn. Gerry Hundt provides rhythm guitar, keen harp throughout the record and lead guitar on one track. Drummer Victor Spann and bassist Dave Wood hold down the rhythm section.
Each song carries a central blues theme. “I Never Forget” is a warning to a spurned lover, “Check my Pulse (I Believe I Must Have Died)” sounds like a recovery from “I Never Forget” as Nick falls in love all over again. This number is flavored with some great piano chops from Bob Welsh. “Just Like That”, is one of those tunes where everyone chimes in on the tag line and features some fine harp work by Gerry Hundt. “Ridin’ at the Ranch”, a texas swing instrumental reminiscent of T-Bone Walker, features some truly spectacular guitar from Nick. “One Eyed Jack”, pulls back to the down home Chicago blues vibe that’s Nick’s trademark sound. Clever lyrics and nice showcasing by the ensemble pull you right in.
“Grease Monkey” plays on the handyman that every woman wants to have around the house, just ask my wife, ‘cause I ain’t grease monkey enough. “The Money I Make” sounds like Freddy King has come back to earth and provides an excellent vocal treatment by Nick. “The Money I Make” is a new Blues classic. There’s a great key drop in this song near the end that sends it rollin’ on down the line. “Feel So Ashamed”, a soul-baring number, presents that male guilt so deep routed in all of us that have regrets. “Coldcut Swamp” is a boogie woogie instrumental that showcases pianist Bob Welsh and drummer Victor Spann and confirms again how egoless Nick is. Nick’s recent work with Barrelhouse Chuck proves he knows how to take advantage of his piano player. It’s also a nice break in the album that presents variety but doesn’t stray from the commitment to vintage blues.
Things slow down again “The Bishop”, a song about Bishop Don Magic Juan, Nick adds some effects to his typically clean guitar sound and offers an outstanding solo. Welsh adds the organ on this and the next tune with a dedication to Earl Hooker on Jackie Brentston’s “You Got to Lose”. This features Nick playing a wah wah solo. Nick has found his strengths on his vocals and uses them very well on this tune. Back to Chicago with Jimmy Rogers’ “If I Could Get My Hands On You” and conviction comes through. There’s absolutely nothing tentative on this record and demonstrates that Nick has matured over his last three projects. Dirty harp work on this song by Gerry Hundt warns Nick to hang on to this guy as long as he can. The band goes all out on Lefty Dizz’s “If I Could Get My Hands On You” giving it that “top of third set” bar performance when the crowd is rocking and ready. Hundt leads the solos on this one, Nick follows with an intense one, and the song cruises along very nicely.
The CD winds down with three more cuts (did I mention that Nick is prolific) “Crazy Woman Blues”, a slow ballad, “Everybody Got to Go”, a John Lee Hooker style diddy, and “Gone Hoggin’” a 60’s style surf instrumental that takes a detour to the delta. It’s a wind down encore to the album and leads us out the exit door.
Production-wise this couldn’t be a better sounding Chicago Blues record, it has a vintage quality, but doesn’t sound dated, recorded cleanly and distinctly. Nick handles the production from his basement studio – and I’ve always thought that some of the best stuff comes out of the cave versus the sacristy of most commercial recording studios.
“Sadie Mae” is well-packaged, from the cover that depicts Nick’s Sadie Mae tattoo and guitar, to the well written liner notes and photos (including a beauty of the infant Sadie Mae running the controls). Kate Moss (Moonshine Productions), Nick’s wife, does a tremendous job of tying everything together. The emphasis is on Nick’s stature as a true preservationist and how his tenure under Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Dawkins, Willie Smith and Buddy Scott rolls into a rich Chicago sound. Dick Shurman, Blues producer and historian authors the liner notes. Another nice touch is that the disk itself looks just like vinyl, jet black and finished with faded label and grooves.
Nick appears more relaxed on this recording than any previous one, taking command, but as a benevolent leader, coaxing his band in lieu of dragging it out of them. This is a tight-knit group and well worth it if you can get out to see them at a club near you.
Lookout Chicago - ‘cause Nick Moss may be crowned the new King of the Chicago Blues with records like “Sadie Mae”.
http://www.nickmoss.com
About the author: Dave Glynn is the lead singer of the Empty Can Band found on the Web at http://www.emptycanband.com.
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