Mitch Woods – Big Easy Boogie (Club 88 Records).
San Franciscan Mitch Woods has assembled a stellar New Orleans band for what has been described as the Big Easy version of The Buena Vista Social Club. They open with the eponymous title track, a big band blues that verges on rock n roll, and it’s a great way to start. Erving Charles, Jr on bass, who is sadly no longer with us and Earl Palmer provide the driving force and they are complimented by some great other New Orleans old timers. Woods takes on the vocal duty in addition to his piano but it is his piano playing that transcends all. Thought I Heard Satchmo Say is a pleasant New Orleans shuffle and Fallin’ For You is a slow rock n roll stroller, both of which are played with heart. Mitch and the band stay in the rock n roll arena for Counting The Days which moves along very well and shows just how good a band they are. Mojo Mamba is a good fun-time boogie with an earthy voice from Woods and the telling introduction of female backing vocals. Mitch shows what he is about on Crescent City Flyer; this piano boogie is certainly from the high end of the market.
It’s back to the slow rock n roll for Heart And Soul To You and this is pretty standard stuff at best. He stays in the rock n roll field for Short, Sweet And Tender but things are speeded up quite significantly. This will be a real crowd pleaser and again shows Woods to be in the higher echelon of boogie-woogie piano players. Back In Your Arms Again is medium paced rock n roll and is lit up by the horns of Herb Hardesty, Clarence Johnson III and Fred Sheppard on tenor sax, Reggie Houston on baritone sax and the legendary Dave Bartholomew on trumpet. I Left My Baby At The Mardi Gras Cryin’ is played in a Professor Longhair style but the added guitar of Jimmy Moliere gives that different feel as he does his thing. The slow swinger, New Gert Town Blues is a fine example of Woods leaving the audience in no doubt that the piano is the star of this show. They crank up the pace again for I’m Ready, the Fats Domino classic, and this excellent version leads us up toward the end of the album in fine style. The closing track, The Ballad Of Dr Daddy O has a spoken narration about the first Black radio DJ and is a good story, if somewhat a strange way to end the album.
Also included is a DVD with a live New Orleans performance, recording studio footage, interviews, biographies and a discography. This all makes for a top class package.
http://www.mitchwoods.com/
David Blue.
San Franciscan Mitch Woods has assembled a stellar New Orleans band for what has been described as the Big Easy version of The Buena Vista Social Club. They open with the eponymous title track, a big band blues that verges on rock n roll, and it’s a great way to start. Erving Charles, Jr on bass, who is sadly no longer with us and Earl Palmer provide the driving force and they are complimented by some great other New Orleans old timers. Woods takes on the vocal duty in addition to his piano but it is his piano playing that transcends all. Thought I Heard Satchmo Say is a pleasant New Orleans shuffle and Fallin’ For You is a slow rock n roll stroller, both of which are played with heart. Mitch and the band stay in the rock n roll arena for Counting The Days which moves along very well and shows just how good a band they are. Mojo Mamba is a good fun-time boogie with an earthy voice from Woods and the telling introduction of female backing vocals. Mitch shows what he is about on Crescent City Flyer; this piano boogie is certainly from the high end of the market.
It’s back to the slow rock n roll for Heart And Soul To You and this is pretty standard stuff at best. He stays in the rock n roll field for Short, Sweet And Tender but things are speeded up quite significantly. This will be a real crowd pleaser and again shows Woods to be in the higher echelon of boogie-woogie piano players. Back In Your Arms Again is medium paced rock n roll and is lit up by the horns of Herb Hardesty, Clarence Johnson III and Fred Sheppard on tenor sax, Reggie Houston on baritone sax and the legendary Dave Bartholomew on trumpet. I Left My Baby At The Mardi Gras Cryin’ is played in a Professor Longhair style but the added guitar of Jimmy Moliere gives that different feel as he does his thing. The slow swinger, New Gert Town Blues is a fine example of Woods leaving the audience in no doubt that the piano is the star of this show. They crank up the pace again for I’m Ready, the Fats Domino classic, and this excellent version leads us up toward the end of the album in fine style. The closing track, The Ballad Of Dr Daddy O has a spoken narration about the first Black radio DJ and is a good story, if somewhat a strange way to end the album.
Also included is a DVD with a live New Orleans performance, recording studio footage, interviews, biographies and a discography. This all makes for a top class package.
http://www.mitchwoods.com/
David Blue.
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