Search - The Mannish Boys :: Big Plans

Mannish Boys

A. A. Paul | Los Angeles, CA | 08/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Mannish Boys never fail to dissapoint, and this album is probably their best yet. The great thing about the Mannish Boys is that they combine that down-and-dirty Chicago sound with the uptown-swing of the West Coast. Some of the best living blues musicians appear on this album, including Jody Williams, Johnny Dyer, Leon Blue, Kid Ramos, Finis Tasby and many more. From beginning to end the Mannish Boys' "Big Plans" never lets up its relentless blues attack. An absolute must-have for any blues fan."

Another solid Mannish Boys CD of straight blues.

R. Weinstock | Falls Church, VA USA | 08/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Delta Groove has issued a new release from The Manish Boys, "Big Plans." A smorgasbord of blues players and styles, the main featured players are vocalists Finis Tasby and Johnny Dyer with support from the likes of guitarists Frank Goldwasser (Paris Slim), and Kirk Fletcher, pianist Leon Blue, bassist Tom Leavey and drummer Richard Innes with guest appearances from Jody Williams, Rick Holmstrom, Mitch Kashmar, Rob Rio and Larry Taylor. There is a mix of covers and originals that are well played and performed. Certainly its a delight to hear the West Coast blues singing of Tasby whose world-weary sound adds to the appeal of his reworking Long John Hunter's Border Town Blues, while I Get Worried, is a moody late night T-Bone Walker blues with Kid Ramos laying in crisp T-Bone guitar runs, and Roy Hawkins' Why Do Things Happen to Me? is a charged rendition of the great West Coast singer who had the original The Thrill is Gone. Chicago singer Bobby Jones handles an original shuffle by bassist Leavey, Mary Jane, with producer Randy Chortkoff adding some Jimmy Reed-ish, high register harp, along with a moody reworking of Howlin' Wolf's Memphis recording, California Blues, into a slow-drag blues with Fletcher taking lead on guitar and Kashmar adding some choice harp. Johnny Dyer covers Muddy waters' recording, Just to Be With You, and its well played if adding little to the original, while Leon Blue does Homesick James' Got to Move, with Goldwasser adding solid slide in the Homesick James vein as Leon Blue tinkles the ivories and delivers a strong vocal, again modeled on James' original, and Jody Williams recreates his Groan My Blues Away, with an amiable if unspectacular vocal, but his vocal on Chortkoff's Young & Tender, is more compelling against the atmospheric backing he receives. In contrast, Chortkoff's rendition of his Mine All Mine has too busy accompaniment and a weak vocal (certainly in comparison to the other performers here). Even if much of this hardly original, it is delight to hear this done so well at a time with bluesy rock is seen by some as an innovation. While hardly essential, few blues lovers will have any complaints to acquiring this disc.

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Big Plans a very big surprise, my review from Barcelona

Jose Maria Domenech Fedi | 02/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even if a big part of current Blues is closer to Rock than to pure Blues, I still very much like the Blues and when I listen to records like this "Big Plans, the latest Manish Boys' work, I feel comforted verifying that there are still great Blues musicians that take this marvellous music to the bottom of your soul. This is a great record from the beginning to the end, Blues in top form with all of its ingredients, great songs, remarkable vocal performances (Finis Tasby, Johnny Dyer....) great guitar(Kirk Fletcher, Kid Ramos....) and harmonica (Mitch Kashmar, Johnny Dyer, Randy Chartkoff...) among other great names. Of course the other instruments are played on a great level, as is the case of the bass guitar, by the ex-component of `Canned Heat' `Larry Taylor'.I would not know what theme to highlight because all of them are very good, but if I had to mention some of them, I could say "Border Town Blues", "Mary Jane", "Carpet Bagger Blues" - a wonderful version of a Muddy Waters' theme, as is `Just To Be With You"- and also "Young And Tender", a fantastic slow theme with a sublime tenor sax touch by David Woodford and Bob Rio's piano, "Walkin' Down Fillmore", and the closing blues "California Blues". Highly recommended. I give it 4,5 stars."