From the opening original tune “Come Out Swinging” to the set-ending “Sad Hours,” Tuff Love offers up 10 cuts of harp-fueled blues courtesy of “Boom Boom Steve,” one of the mainstays on the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota blues scene. In 1952, Little Walter had a number one hit with “Juke,” and “Sad Hours” landed in second place on the charts that same year. I especially liked the fat-toned, upbeat “When I Was Young,” and the straight-ahead driving blues of the title cut; proof positive that Steve V & the Knockouts are in full command of some tasty original blues mixed in with a few reverential covers. The engine room of Dwight Dario on drums and John Schroder on bass keep the groove moving, and when they aren’t playing as Knockouts, they’re behind local blues players like the Twin Cities’ Big George Jackson. Guitarist John Franken, an alumnus of the local Joel Johnson Band, expertly plays a number of styles on this CD, from Texas-tinged blues, post-war Chicago blues, and the West Coast-flavored “From Stardom to Obscurity” – while I’ve never heard John play before, I think that he’d be considered a “guitarists’ guitarist” for his diverse approaches to the blues. Guest Knockouts include Bruce McCabe on piano and Wurlitzer (this Lamont Cranston veteran burns up the keys on Lester Butler’s “HNC”), Jeremy Johnson on guitar on the covers of Little Walter’s “Sad Hours” and “Come Back Baby,” and Mark “Good Time” Williams pitching in background vocals on the title tune. Tuff Love offers up a great set of blues, and I highly recommend this CD. The CD closes with a nod to Little Walter, with Boom Boom Steve taking the Mississippi saxophone to new heights on the “Sad Hours” instrumental. I’d like to think that Little Walter would have appreciated and enjoyed this cover, and I can’t give it any higher praise than that. A solid blues record from an accomplished band. – Eric Steiner

www.bluesonstage.com/stevev

"This review is copyright © by the writer and Blues On Stage: www.mnblues.com, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without permission." Copyright reuse notice: If you would like to reprint or use this review please include the above copyright notice, contained within the quotation marks, PLUS this statement: "Used with permission." Then send an email to Ray at: mnblues@aol.com indicating how you are using the review or the website page address it will be appearing on. Thanks!

Buy this CD NOW:
www.bluesonstage.com/stevev

Your purchase through the Amazon.com links at the end of each review, or by simply clicking on the Amazon banner (below) to order this or many other products from Amazon, helps to support this website as well as the featured blues artist.

Click on this banner to get you new low percent credit card:

---

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! You can help support this blues website by making a contribution (click on the banner below for details). Or mail a donation to: Ray Stiles % Blues On Stage, PO Box 582983, Mpls, MN 55458. Thanks!

---

Web Hosting & Design: CLICK HERE for Web Design SPECIAL, get your own website for just $75. The most affordable web hosting and design services available. Click Here to find out how you can host your current site at Blues On Stage, or how I can help you design your own website!

If you would like your CD reviewed, please send TWO (2) copies of your CD to:

Blues On Stage
PO Box 582983
Minneapolis, MN 55458-2983

E-mail Ray Stiles with any questions.