Mitch Woods A Tip of the Hats to Fats

Mitch Woods
A Tip of the Hats to Fats
Blind Pig

If one is already familiar with Mitch woods, then you will know what to expect with the live recording from the 2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Woods has been playing boogie-woogie and jump blues piano for decades and in the past couple of decades, has added a heavy dose of New Orleans R&B gumbo to his musical mix. He is a terrific pianist and a warm, natural singer who always brings a good-time party.

For this live recording, he had a band with Roger Lewis on baritone sax, Amadee Castenell and Brian 'Breeze' Cayolle on sax, John Fohl on guitar, Cornell Williams on bass, and Terence Higgins on drums. It is a tight band that captures the classic New Orleans sound on Woods' idiomatic original, "Solid Gold Cadillac," and his tribute to Professor Longhair, "Mojo Mambo." The last number is derived from Earl King's "Big Chief." The centerpiece of this lively set was three numbers associated with Fats Domino to whom the 2018 Festival was dedicated. Booting sax solos from Cayolle and Lewis enliven a relaxed "Blue Monday," and Lewis storms through his baritone sax solo on "Jambalaya." Then there is a terrific rendition of "Walking To New Orleans." The classic old Clarence Garlow recording, "Crawfishin'," is a rocking New Orleans flavored jump blues with a superb John Fohl guitar solo and more rousing baritone sax from Lewis, while "Rocket 88" becomes a storming boogie-woogie."

A closing rendition of the classic pop boogie-woogie number, "House of Blue Lights," puts a close to the party that Woods was leading at the Blues Tent that JazzFest day. Well recorded by Munck Music, this is another wonderfully performed Mitch Woods performance to add to his marvelous body of recordings.

I purchased this recording. Here is Mitch Woods doing a 2019 in-store appearance at the Louisiana Music Factory in New Orleans to promote "A Tip of the Hats to Fats."