THE MANNISH BOYS "LOWDOWN FEELIN" Source: Blues and Rhythm Magazine Date: 06/2008 Writer: n/a

The Mannish Boys just go on and on producing real deal blues. This is their fourth release on Delta Groove and there is absolutely no sign of staleness creeping in. This most recent version features old hands Finis Tasby, Johnny Dyer, Kid Ramos Frank Goldwasser, Kirk Fletcher, Richard Innes, Ronnie James Weber, Tom Leavey and Randy Chortkoff - with new recruit the fine Chicago vocalist Bobby Jones, and guests including Little Sammy Davis, Junior Watson, Lynwood Slim, Fred Scribner, Al Blake, and Fred Kaplan.

I guess the best way to approach this review is to run through the vocalists track by track, so here goes, starting with the great Finis Tasby. He opens his contribution with ‘Lowdown Feeling’, featuring T-Bone licks from Ramos and a big horn arrangement, it’s the dog’s bollocks without a doubt! (Overseas readers – this is a British statement of approval!) His next vocal shot is the mid tempo ‘If The Washing Don't Get You . . .’ featuring Otis Rush inspired guitar from Fletcher; ‘Something’s Wrong’ is a Latin inflected shuffle with Sumlin tinged guitar from Ramos and piano from Kaplan. Tasby is quality, full stop!

Veteran Bobby Jones is the featured vocalist on seven tracks, opening with the Parker/Robey composition, ‘These Kind Of Blues. It commences rather unusually with a flourish of Spanish guitar and Mariachi style trumpet, before slipping into a harp (Chortkoff) driven shuffle. ‘Searchin’ Blues’ is a Chortkoff original, a ‘50s Chicago style number fueled by Goldwasser’s slide and Innes’s tremendously powerful drumming. Jones gives Wolf’s ‘Chocolate Drop’ the right amount of menace, with Junior Watson laying down the Willie Johnson guitar line perfectly. Harp player Lynwood Slim guests on Horton’s ‘Need My Baby’, Jones’ vocals take us back to the juke joint and David Woodford honks appropriately on tenor sax. Next up from Jones are two Billy ‘The Kid’ Emerson numbers; the appropriately amusing ‘The Woodchuck’ and with greasy B3, the funky, groovy ‘Figure Head’, which reminds me of ‘Country Girl’. Jones’ final vocal contribution is Johnny O’Neal’s ‘Dead Letter Blues’. Given a slow treatment with buzzing, T-Bone influenced guitar from Watson and braying saxes, it’s a real mother fuyer!

Veteran vocalist (he is not featured on harp this time out) Johnny Dyer does his thing on Willie Dixon’s composition, ‘Same Thing’, Goldwasser contributes the Muddy inflected slide and Dyer renders just the correct amount of simmering innuendo. Al Blake is harp man on ‘Good Times’, penned by Jimmie D. Harris (aka Shakey Jake), with burbling B3 Johnny delivers a plaintive cry for better times. Little Sammy Davis is vocalist on a typically edgy version of ‘Fine Lookin’ Woman’, with Fred Scribner on guitar, but it’s a complete change of style on ‘When I Leave’, a nifty slab of soulfulness with femme backing singers and gospel drenched vocals from Davis.

That leaves Chortkoff, who features on harp and vocals on his own, Sonny Boy Williamson inspired, ‘Rude Groove’. ‘You Don’t Love Me’ is given a broad canvas, with Fletcher’s hard-hitting guitar on a swinging, big band instrumental version of Willie Cobbs’ classic composition. Frank ‘Paris Slim’ Goldwasser is featured on ‘Reet Petite’, this has to be the only weak number on this CD, for me Frank just does not have the vocal chops for it.

The recipe for a top-notch blues recording is not rocket science. Get a bunch of classic songs, add musicians and vocalists who are at the top of their game, get them in the studio with a producer (Chortkoff) who knows exactly what is required, and the result is ‘Lowdown Feelin’’ by the Mannish Boys. Just keep on doing it guys, that’s all we ask of you!