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| CHEAP THRILLS - LIVE VOLUME 1 - JIMI BOTT ROSELEAF RECORDS (2005) |
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| Jimi Bott has wisely taken the initiative to release this high-powered set of �hidden treasures�, clandestinely recorded (and, in some instances, enhanced) by various people at live performances over the last 20 years. Unless you were already a hard-core fan of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, you probably aren�t familiar with this drummer�s name. With the release of Cheap Thrills, that will surely change. He is indeed one kick-ass drummer who could never be called lazy! The CD gets right down to business with a slightly scratchy, full-tilt boogie shuffle called �The Eliminator�, performed by Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, from their own repertoire of originals. The furiously improvised harmonica leads would have challenged many a rhythm section, but Bott and company were up to the challenge. A tad more bass in the mix would have touched it up nicely. Following that is Roscoe Gordon�s more laid-back, but certainly not musically idle �That�s What You Do to Me� (one of only a few songs containing vocals). It is performed on guitar and sung by Junior Watson, who has played with Charlie Musselwhite and Sonny Rhodes, among many other blues acts. He�s a strong-voiced singer and a very fluid player who puts a lot of feeling behind his techniques. The sound reproduction here is excellent, and the enthusiastic response from the crowd speaks for itself. The ensuing guitar-crazy version of Henry Mancini�s classic �Peter Gunn� is one you won�t soon forget, either. The emphasis here is on lead rather than bass guitar, and Luther Tucker (Robert Lockwood, Jr., J.T. "Big Boy" Brown, Little Walter, Otis Spann, Jimmy Rogers, etc.) is the guitar maniac in question. Harp-honcho Mark Hummel (providing a terrific substitute for the original brass) and his Blues Survivors, guitarist Pat �Guitar Slim� Chase and bassist Tim Wagar, complete this almost-7-minute masterpiece. It�s a stand-out performance, but I would have a lot of difficulty picking a favourite among the many virtuoso guitarists on this CD. Curtis Smith (on strat) and Mike Schermer (on tele) had my head spinning on Albert Collins� �Frosty�. Thom Merida, on electric piano, provided this �Bay Area Rhythm Round Up� track. A most pleasant surprise for me was becoming acquainted with keyboardist Miss Honey (Piazza). She is featured on several tracks, most impressively on a Jack Fina/Kim Fowley medley called �The Bumble Boogie/The Nutrocker� and �Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing)�. The latter is a �pared-down� duet of the big-band number that features her nimble noodling on piano and Jimi doing the tom-tom thing on drums. The blues are rocked up good and heavy on Jimi�s brand-new composition, �Cheap Thrills�, with The Fabulous Thunderbirds� Kim Wilson on vocals, Kid Ramos on guitar, Gene Taylor on piano, Willie J. Campbell on bass and Jimi on drums. Just as an aside, Gene appears on the new Downchild Blues Band�s CD, Come On In, along with a host of other stellar players. The T-Birds also contribute a punchy R&B sound on �I�d Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy�. Jimi gives some added exposure to ubiquitous guitar whiz Alex Schultz, who tears up the house on a 10-minute improvisation of the late Tommy Ridgley�s �Jam Up�. Alex�s suggestion that Jimi edit this track for the purpose of brevity went unheeded, and rightfully so, especially if you�re hip to jazz guitar. While Jimi admits to a bit of self-indulgent pride regarding his extended staccato smackdown, �Tribute to Gene, Buddy and Louie� (referring to Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and the lesser-known Louie Belson), there is no denying this prodigy long ago reached a level of expertise on par with his idols. The final outro minute is worth the price of the CD itself. Hot, �Fire Boy�, very, very hot! Rod Piazza�s peppery version of Little Walter�s �Ah�w Baby (You�re Looking Good Again Tonight)" almost didn�t make it onto the CD, but I think it was a perfect blues �chill-out�. Cheap Thrills is so very much more than that - it�s a testament to Joplin�s adage, �Get It While You Can�. |
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