"MOHAWK VALLEY BLUES"
VOLUME ONE
BY PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO
COPYRIGHT - 2006
"MOHAWK VALLEY BLUES" is a compilation of recordings by member bands
of the Mohawk Valley Blues Society located in Upstate New York. The disc contains
fifteen excellent recordings by a dozen different bands featuring over 40 different
musicians. Although I will not be able to say something about all the tracks,
I always like to at least give the players the acknowledgement they deserve.
Having said that, allow me to now make the introductions. In order of appearance,
by band name and it's members:
BLUEPRINTS: GERORE DEVNEY, vocal and guitars; DON PAUL WAY, bass; DAVID LIDDY,
piano and vocals; BRUCE TETLEY, guitar and vocals; STEVE EVANS, drums; LENNY
MILANO, percussion.
TOM TOWNSLEY & THE BACKSLIDERS: TOM TOWNSLEY, harmonica; MORRIS TARBELL,
guitar; CHAD TOMLINSON, drums; PAT DE SALVO, bass.
JOHN HUTSON: JOHN HUTSON, vocals; TOM TOWNSLEY, harmonica; MORRIS TARBELL, guitar;
CHAD TOMLINSON, drums; PAT DE SALVO, bass.
CONRAD STORY BLUES BAND: PAPA TAS CRU, vocals, guitar and harmonica; CHIP LAMSON,
keyboards; JONATHAN HUNKINS, drums; AMALIO PRATTI, bass.
MIDNITE MIKE AND THE BIG NOTES: MIDNITE MIKE, lead vocal and guitar; BILLY CARMAN,
harmony vocals and bass; ROD KEISER, piano; DAVE PALACE, drums.
THE LOMEO BROTHERS: MATT LOMEO, harp and vocals; ADAM LOMEO, guitar; BRUCE CLIFFORD,
bass; STEVE BUZINSKI, drums.
JIMMY WOLF: JIMMY WOLF, vocal and guitar; GENE BALLESTROS, bass; TODD MINERD,
drums;
BERNIE CLARKE AND THE RHYTHM SHARKS: BERNIE CLARKE, harp and background vocals;
SETH ROCHFORD, guitar and vocals; DAN TROIANO, bass; HYNIE WITTHOPF, drums.
AL NATHAN AND BLUESTREAK: AL NATHAN, vocal and keyboard; JOHN HUTSON, guitar,
bass and background vocals; DARRYL MATTISON, drums.
NICK MERCURY AND THE METEORS: NICK MERCURY, bass and vocals; POPS MERCURY, harmonica
and vocals; ROD BROADBENT, guitar; KEVIN HOFFMAN, drums.
JOHN SAVAGE: JOHN SAVAGE, acoustic guitar and vocals; GERORE DEVNEY, electric
guitars; DAVE OLSON, drums; STEVE WARGO, bass; FRANK TALERICO, keyboards; DARRYL
MATTISON, percussion
DON PAUL WAY: DON PAUL WAY, vocals and acoustic guitar; GERORE DEVNEY, dobro;
DARRYL MATTISON, percussion; BOBBY HOLZ, drums; DAVE LIDDY, keyboards.
Now, let's talk about some blues - which "MOHAWK VALLEY BLUES" just
happens to be full of. The following are just a few of the discs many highlights.
"GOOD TIMES COMING" is not only the name of the opening track, but
it's basically telling you what's ahead for you as you listen to the next sixty-six
minutes of this disc - good times. It's an original performed by BLEPRINTS and
features a lot of great guitar and piano work.
"TWICE TOO MUCH", an original by TOM TOWNSLEY & THE BACKSLIDERS,
features some very impressive harp blowing by TOM. This is a very well performed
and well written track. Being told that he's getting dumped by his lady for
drinking too much, he admits that it's true and when it causes him to see double,
it's is twice too much of her.
"COUNT THE TEARS FROM MY EYES" is another very well written T. T.
original. JOHN"S vocals are done with a lot of soul and MORRIS' guitar
work is outstanding. I sense a lot of Duke Robillard influence on this track,
in the playing and the singing. The nice slow pace and the very sad lyrics must
make this one a hit with the slow dancers. This is one of the best on the disc.
"JUST A DREAM ON MY MIND" is another track that features some great
harp playing - this time by MATT of the LOMEO BROTHERS. This one, with it's
hint of funk will really get you moving. Some of the best rhythm on the disc
can be heard right here, especially with some ass kicking bass by BRUCE.
Another impressive original track is "GOOD LUCK, BAD LUCK", performed
by BERNIE CLARKE AND THE RHYTHM SHARKS. Apparently New York State is in good
hands harmonica wise. This is yet another track with more excellent harp playing.
This time the pleasure is provided by BERNIE. The vocals, the vocal harmony,
SETH'S superb guitar and HYMIE'S top notch drumming all add up to another excellent
track.
Although the lyrics sound nothing like it, musically, "SLEEPIN' WITH THE
REAPER", by AL NATHAN AND BLUESTREAK, sounds a lot like my ultimate favorite
song of all time -"Moondance", by Van Morrison. That, along with some
great keyboard work by AL and an awesome rhythm section of JOHN on bass and
DARRYL on drums make this another hot one.
"SQUARE LITTLE MAMA" absolutely rips. This a total all out jam by
TOM TOWNSLEY & THE BACKSLIDERS. It's another T. T. original with, once again,
pure ass kickin' harp and phenomenal rhythm work by CHAD and PAT. Lots of cute
lyrics here as well - I especially loved that this so called square little mama
thinks that 'Slim Harpo' is a diet plan.
"MOHAWK VALLEY BLUES" appropriately ends with a track called "THE
END". It's the discs only acoustic track and it features great pickin'
and singin' by DON PAUL WAY.
Judging by what I just heard, I'd have to say that the blues, in Upstate New
York, seems to be in extremely talented hands. The area's certainly in a 'Blues
State of Mind'.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman"
Lauro, A contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at www.Mary4Music.com
where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs
and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com