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Hail to the Kings
Alligator
The new recording by the Chicago based Cash Box Kings is a terrific CD of traditionally rooted Chicago blues. Take the excellent rhythm section of bassist John Lauter and drummer Kenny 'Beedy Eyes' Smith with Queen Lee Kanehira guesting on keyboards and Little Frank Krakowski on rhythm guitar; have a real, real, real good singer in Oscar Wilson; and add superb guitar and harmonica from Billy Flynn and Joe Nosek respectfully, and one has one fabulous band. Shemekia Copeland guests on one song, Xavier Lynn adds lead guitar to two, Derek Hendrickson takes over the drum chair on two, and Alex Hill adds percussion to two. Nosek and Wilson collaborated on nine of the 13 tracks (with John Hahn on one), Nosek wrote two by himself, and there are two novel covers.
One has to be impressed by how tight, and in the pocket, Lauter and Smith are throughout the shifting tempos and material. Flynn is superb whether channeling B.B. King on the opening shuffle "Ain't No Fun (When the Rabbit Has the Gun)," the Freddy King of King's Federal recordings on "'Take Anything I Can" with its boogaloo groove (think King's instrumental "Texas Oil"); and Jimmy Rogers crossed with Blue Smitty on "Smoked Jowl Blues." With Nosek full-bodied harp backing and solos, they provide first-rate support for Wilson's robust and nuanced singing. Wilson sounds comfortable handling a hot shuffle like the opening "Ain't No Fun," a Jimmy Rogers' styled performance on "Smoked Jowl," and the Muddy Waters' styled "Poison in My Whiskey." With Flynn's slide guitar evoking Earl Hooker, the Cash Box Kings recast Mercy Dee's "Sugar Daddy" into a terrific Chicago blues. The closing "The Wrong Number" is ebullient Bluebeat Beat styled performance in the manner of Washboard Sam and Jazz Gillum.
The songs are marvelous, idiomatic blues laced with irony and humor, including the highly amusing duet between Wilson and Shemekia Copeland, "The Wine Talkin'." Nosek handles a couple vocals including "Back Off," and is an adequate vocal but lacks Wilson's authority. Nosek and Wilson team up for the humorous duet "Joe, You Ain't From Chicago," where Joe starts off naming a place to get Italian Beef but it is in Elmwood Park, and Wilson states that isn't in Chicago. Against a Bo Diddley groove, Nosek sings about going to Maxwell Street, riding the redline after dark and seeing Smokey Smothers, while Wilson sings Joe doesn't know the Loop from Cabrini Green.
The highpoint may be "Bluesman Next Door," about people who say they like the blues, but don't want Wilson living next door. He sings about folks saying he is the top singing up on stage, but if they see him in the neighborhood, they would probably call a cop. Besides Wilson's terrific singing, Xavier Lynn plays the first-rate solo. This song stands out among the consistently excellent music heard on this superb CD.
I received my review copy from Alligator. Here is Alligator's promotional video for "Ain't No Fun (When the Rabbit Has the Gun)."
