Search - Dr Ross :: Boogie Disease

Dr. Ross is still the harmonica boss

Franz Douskey | The Peaceful Tuna Rest home, in Swamp Root,connect | 08/26/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dr. Isiah Ross recording for Sam Phillips on Sun Records before there was an Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. If this album contained only The Boogie Disease, is would be well worth having. Dr. Ross was the last of the one-man bands, finally passing away in Flint, Michigan, where he worked at the GM plant. This CD contains most of great Sun recordings, including Chicago Breakdown and Juke Box Boogie. Some rock historians might recall when CREAM recorded Cat Squirrel in the late 1960's. The writer was none other than Dr. Ross. The orginal record is contained here. This CD also includes a number of traditional blues numbers, such as Break 'Em On Down and Feel So Sad. But most of the recordings here are rare, hard to find sides. Dr. Ross was a clear, distinctive voice who found brief popularity in the 1970's during Blues Revival shows. On some sides he performs drums, guitar and harmonica unaccompanied, hence the name: the last of the one man bands. If you are interested in a genuine original, and are weary of the over amped blues clones, Dr. Ross' Boogie Disease just might be for you. "Thought I'd boogie to the doctor, boogie to the nurse; Gonna keep on boogiein' till they put me in the hearse." And that's exactly what Dr. Ross did."