The Knickerbocker All-Stars Go Back Home To The Blues

A most pleasant surprise is a new release by The Knickerbocker All-Stars, "Go Back Home To The Blues" (JP Cadillac Records). The release is a follow-up to last year's "Open Mic At The Knick" and like the earlier album celebrates the Westerly, Rhode Island venue, the Knickerbocker Cafe. This is where, in the 1960s, musicians like Greg Piccolo, Johnny Nicholas, Fran Christina and others played in various groups which led to the emergence of Roomful of Blues by Duke Robillard and Al Basile and other bands. Producer Jack Gauthier and Musical Director Copley have put together a superb band of Mark Teixeira, drums; Brad Hallen, standup/electric bass; Al Copley, piano; Monster Mike Welch, guitar; Doug James, baritone/tenor sax; Sax Gordon Beadle, tenor sax; Rich Lataille,alto/tenor sax; Doc Chanonhouse,trumpet; and Carl Querfurth, trombone. Vocals are shared by Sugar Ray Norcia, Brian Templeton and Willie J Laws with Al Basile playing cornet and singing on one selection.

The musical focus is on the urban blues of the fifties and sixties with renditions of songs associated with Bobby Bland, Roy Brown, Guitar Slim, Chuck Willis and Larry Davis with Basile contributing several idiomatic originals as well. What can one say as the All-Stars are terrific, with Welch again showing that he has become one of today's top string benders. He channels Freddie King in backing Laws' soaring vocal on " You Know That You Love Me." Norcia opens the album with Bobby Bland's classic "36-22-36," with his terrific vocal perhaps more akin to Junior Parker than Bland. There is superb playing, including a booting tenor sax solo, backing Templeton on a jumping cover of Roy Brown's "Cadillac Boogie." Copley pounds on the piano on the Basile original "Brand New Fool," behind a fervent Norcia vocal, while Welch channels Guitar Slim as Laws' fervently sings Slim's  "Something to Remember You By." Norcia again evokes Junior Parker on a ripping cover of Chuck Willis' "Take It Like A Man."

The rest of this album is of an equally high level. There is a late night instrumental feature for the horns "Hokin'," while Basile plays cornet and delivers an appealing vocal of his witty original, "Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Being Right?" Templeton sounds vigorous on the Basile-penned title track that has strong tenor sax and guitar solos. Copley lays down some serious boogie woogie piano and Doug James get down in the alley on baritone sax on "Blockbuster Boogie." Laws preaches the blues on a driving rendition of Larry Davis' "I Tried," with more of Welch's blistering guitar. This entire recording is a joy for fans of jump and urban blues to listen to. It is another upper deck home run from the Knickerbocker All-Stars.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video of the Kickerbocker All Stars featuring Brian Templeton on the vocals.

The Knickerbocker All Stars Open Mic At The Knick

“Open Mic At The Knick” by The Knickerbocker All Stars on JP Cadillac Records is a celebration of the music scene in Westerly, Rhode Island in the late 1960s when such musicians as Greg Piccolo, Johnny Nicholas, Fran Christina and others held forth in various groups leading to the emergence of Roomful of Blues. With a core of musicians from guitarist Ricky King Russell and the Cadillac Horns, this recording brings together some terrific renditions of classic fifties and sixties blues, R&B and jump blues tunes. Fran Christina and his brother Bobby (one of the producers) hold forth the drum chair, while Al Copley and Dave Maxwell share the piano chair with a first rate horn section that includes Rick Lataille. The 13 vocals are shared between eight vocalists that include Johnny Nicholas, Sugar Ray Norcia, Curtis Salgado, and J. P. Sheerar (another of the producers).

The songs are classics associated with B.B. King “You Upset Me Baby” (ably reworked by Norcia); Bobby Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light” (one of two terrific vocals from Malford Milligan the other being on the Butterfield Blues Band’s “Love Machine”); Billy Eckstine - Earl Hines’ “Jelly Jelly” and Lowell Fulson’s “Reconsider Baby” (Sung by John Nicholas who also sings Guitar Slim-Freddie King’s “Along About Midnight”); Buddy Guy’s “Mother-In-Law Blues” and B.B. King’s rendition of “Five Long Years” (sung by Willy Laws); Bland’s “Ain’t That Lovin’ You (sung by Salgado); Eddie Vinson’s “Somebody’s Got To Go” (sung by Sheerar) and Freddy King’s “I’m Tore Down (sung by Brian Templeton).

This is a marvelously played album of covers of classic blues. The band is excellent and the arrangements well done, even adding extra horns to several selections which had smaller groups on the original performances such as “I’m Tore Down” and “Going Down.” Toss in some strong vocals (and the only disappointing one is Nicholas on “Along About Midnight” and that is because my reference point is Guitar Slim and Roy Brown) and one has a terrific listening experience. Highpoint's include Milligan channelling Bobby Bland, Nicholas singing the Eckstine big band chestnut, Willie Law’s rendition of a lesser known Buddy Guy recording and Sheerar’s evocation of Cleanhead Vinson, but everything is a high level. With so many of the original performers no longer with us, this is a tribute not only to those days of the late 1960s but the music that inspired them.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 358).  The Knickerbocker All Stars have a new platter "Go Back Home To The Blues" that I hope to post a review of shortly. Here is a clip of them performing this year.