Kid Ramos' West Coast House Party

Kid Ramos
West Coast House Party
Evidence

Kid Ramos' second Evidence album, West Coast House Party, features a who's who of some of the more prominent blues guitar pickers on the West Coast blues scene along with a variety of vocalists and other players.

Musically, this album leans to the jump blues scene that thrived on the West Coast, with two takes of a T-Bone walker instrumental,  Strollin  With Bone, spotlighting Gatemouth Brown and Duke Robillard along with Kid Ramos, sandwiching other tracks. Other guitarists here include Junior Watson, Rick Holmstrom, Rusty Zinn, and Charlie Baty, while Zinn, Robillard, Watson, James Intveld, Kim Wilson, Janiva Magness, Big Sandy Williams, and James Harman handle the vocals. Jeff Turmes anchors the horns, while Fred Kaplan is on piano, LarryTaylor on bass, and Stephen Hodges is on drums.

It is a tight band that swings, and Ramos gets to trade guitar solos with his peers and special guests. The vocals are generally quite good, although overshadowed by the originals. James Intveld is a capable singer on Roy Brown's  Love Don't Love Nobody,  but not merely in Brown's league as a singer (admittedly few are), and even Kim Wilson can't quite equal a Smiley Lewis on a jump blues like Real Gone Lover.

Within its admitted limitations, this record still possesses considerable appeal. The music is wonderfully played and the result is a lively blues party disc great for dancing and/or listening.

I wrote this review in 2000 and it likely was published in the D.C. Blues Calendar. I likely received a review copy from Evidence Records or a publicist. Here is Kid Ramos as part of The Fabulous Thunderbirds from 2003.

Gonzalo Bergara - Zalo's Blues

Gonzalo Bergara
Zalo's Blues
Self-Produced

The Buenos Aires-based Gonzalo Bergara may best be known for his gypsy jazz quartet, Charlie Baty notes that when he first met the Argentinian, Bergara was developing as a blues guitarist. Then he changed gears and immersed himself in the gypsy jazz tradition (something Baty himself has done). Now Bergara has made a 'blues' recording, which also includes his vocals. Baty calls him "one of the most talented guitarists in the universe" and he certainly displays his chops and appealing vocals on an album of originals with the exception of a Jimmy Reed cover, backed in 2015 by his trio of Mariano D'Andrea on bass and Maximiliano Bergara (except for one track with Vince Bilbro on bass and Michael Partlow on drums that was recorded in 2003).

While Baty calls this Bergara's 1st 'Blues' album, it transcends the genre with a fair dose of blues-rock and country in the songs along with a focus on his guitar playing which incorporates doses of surf-guitar and country-billy that evoke a Danny Gatton or Tom Principato. The opening "Drawback" certainly dazzles, followed by some very credible singing on "Drinking," a nice rock-flavored song crisply played with  more guitar fireworks that doesn't obscure how how inventive and logically he plays. "Singing My Song" is more of a classic rock styled song, but again one is impressed by his guitar playing, especially in his use of space and tone. Covering Jimmy Reed's "You Don't Have To Go," he opens sampling Reed's original but tearing into the performing with his vocal very much reflecting Reed's influence, even if his performance is a bit more emphatically done than the lazy Reed original.

"Dirty Socks" is another sampling of his blistering fretwork set against a funk groove, followed by "Gotta Go," a country-rockabilly romp followed by a driving shuffle groove on the original blues "No More." "Whoosh" is another brisk instrumental with some jazzy accents that was based on Charlie Baty's "Percolatin'", and which Baty not only felt Bergara captured his sound, but had a more interesting theme. Starting off as a lament, "Been Runnin'" is a dose of blues-rock and his playing explodes here (although likely my least favorite track). "Levi" is a nice medium tempoed-blues instrumental with a mix of restraint and explosive guitar followed by a lovely tone poem "Ines," another display of technique, taste and dynamics. The closing "Won't Stay With You" contrasts with understated accompaniment supporting his vigorous singing.

Listening to "Zalo's Blues," one is most impressed by the superb guitar work from Gonzalo Bergara and if not a great singer, he does deliver his vocals with a definite appeal. With his trio, he has provided a recording that will certainly have many take notice of his talent.
I received a review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in September-October 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 368). Here is a sample of him playing.