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The results were powerful, and stunning, and entirely
representative of the way The Mannish Boys have been tearing up stages
around the US , and the world. Because of the collective nature of the
ensemble, with various members coming and going as their schedules with
other bands allow, it was evident after hearing the recordings of this
outstanding performance that this edition of The Mannish Boys had gelled
together on stage and ignited in a way that even the unanimously praised
earlier incarnation of the band had not. This lightning was too powerful
to be kept in a bottle. And the result is the CD you’re holding right
now – the culmination of several lifetimes of collective experiences on
stages around the world by the members of one of the greatest blues
bands to come along in many a moon – The Mannish Boys. This is not just
a band, not just a concert, not just a CD, but a historic blues event
captured for posterity. An event and a band destined to be talked about
with awe by blues fans around the world in the years to come.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Mannish Boys are one of the most exciting blues projects to come along in quite a while, featuring some of the most dynamic blues talent in the world today, assembled from the absolute cream of the crop of West Coast blues veterans and young bloods. This is an "All-Star" undertaking in the true sense of the word - each member of The Mannish Boys is widely recognized in the blues field as a master of his craft, and an in-demand artist in his own right. Spearheading this "All-Star" band is one of blues's most phenomenally talented singers, Finis Tasby. Tasby's musical roots go back to his childhood in the 1940s in Texas, where he absorbed the sounds of T-Bone Walker, Little Son Jackson, and others during the heyday of Texas blues. Equally adept at down home traditional material and funkier modern sounds, Tasby is one of the last great stand-up blues singers of his generation, yet is still young and vital enough to deliver his fiery, dynamic performances at the drop of a hat, as he's proven on a series of CD releases in recent years. The band's two guitar players are Kirk Fletcher and Frank (Paris Slim) Goldwasser. Fletcher has been widely hailed as one of the most talented young black traditional blues guitar players in the world today. He's been the subject of features in virtually every major blues publication both in the US and abroad, and most notably was a member of Kim Wilson's band recordings over the past several years; he's currently playing guitar with Charlie Musselwhite. Kirk's latest CD under his own name on Crosscut Records in Europe (and produced by Mannish Boys producer Rand Chortkoff) is currently receiving rave reviews. Frank (Paris Slim) Goldwasser has worked with some of the world's most legendary black blues talent over the last two decades. He has toured the world many times playing guitar with such notables as Lowell Fulsom, Homesick James and Jimmy Dawkins. Frank's latest CD fronting his own band, "BLUJU", released on Crosscut Records in Europe is a fine display of his vocal and writing talents, in addition to featuring some of the hottest guitar to be heard anywhere. Veteran blues piano ace Leon Blue has been playing piano since 1940, and has played just about everywhere, with just about everyone there is to play with. He spent fourteen years with The Ike and Tina Turner Revue, followed seven years with The Albert Collins Band; his impressive resume also includes stints with legends such as Lowell Fulsom, Albert King and Bobby Bland. Leon's deeply rooted traditional blues feel and sophisticated skills bring to mind such long-gone names as Otis Spann and Lloyd Glenn, a rare thing today. He's also a fine singer, and is featured on this project singing the wonderful Jimmy Nolan composition "You Been Goofin". The foundation of the band is the rock-solid, hard-swinging veteran rhythm section consisting of drummer June Core, and Ronnie James Weber on both electric and stand-up bass. Core's lengthy resume includes work with a who's who of West Coast blues acts, including Little Charlie and The Night Cats and many others; he's currently with blues legend Charlie Musselwhite. Ronnie James Weber is one of the best blues bass players working today, and like Core, he was a long-time member of Little Charlie and The Night Cats; these days his "day job" takes him to the stages and studios around the world as a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Rounding out this already awesome line-up is a stable of very Special guests, each of whom contributes very special ingredients to this unique "All-Star" blues stew. |
From
their very first show together, The Mannish Boys have been wowing their
audiences with stunning virtuosity coupled with deeply rooted soul.
Virtually every show has been a blockbuster, garnering rave reviews such
as those above. And as hard as it may be to believe, The Mannish Boys
have continued to get better, earning comparisons to the legendary “
headcutting ” bands of the ‘50s, who made a sport of stealing gigs, and
audiences, from bigger and better known bands. 
Riding
this wave of adrenaline, the band returned home and launched into a
brief tour of the west coast and into Canada , each show eliciting
responses similar to the triumph in France , building momentum up to
their stellar performance at the Winthrop Blues Festival in Washington .
Fortuitous circumstances put a full professional recording crew on site
for the show, and someone had the foresight to hit the “record” button,
even though a recording of their set was not part of the original plan.