Page 48 - BiTS_03_MARCH_2024

The Slimline Shufflers—Suspicious Blues—Bandcamp

The Slimline Shufflers are a band from Bristol fronted by Henry
Slim (vocals, harmonica), with Eric Arthur (piano), Adam
Newton (bass) and Max Harrison (no relation) (drums). From
the opening song ‘Kansas City’ you can hear the band sound

different - there’s no guitar! – but Eric Arthur’s excellent rolling
piano provides ‘the meat in the sandwich’, with the rhythm
section being very subtle and jazzy and on top Mr Slim’s
restrained vocals and nuanced blues harmonica. ‘Go To the
Mardi Gras’ is the old Professor Longhair song and is a showcase

for the piano and also the rhythm section and ‘Walkin’ Blues’ is the Robert Johnson song, while
Ivory Joe Hunter’s ‘I Almost Lost My Mind’ gives a nod to Walter Horton’s ‘Easy’.

Little Walter’s ‘Just Your Fool’ sees Henry with a more muscular harp tone, then he and the

band take a relaxed run through Hoagy Carmichael’s ‘Georgia on My Mind’. We carry on with
more blues classics such as Tampa Red’s ‘Ramblers Blues’, Little Walter’s ‘My Babe’ and the
ubiquitous ‘Key to the Highway’. However, it’s the band’s unusual line up coupled with Henry
Slim’s unusual vocal delivery – like ‘Whispering’ Paul McDowell in The Temperance Seven (one
for the teenagers there) that give all these over-played songs a new lease of life. The album

closes with Johnny Adams’ ‘Life is Just a Struggle’ an archetypal New Orleans easy rolling boogie
and a restrained romp through Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Pontiac Blues’. I really liked this
album’s subtlety and different sound – no keening guitars or screaming vocals or pounding
relentless bass and drums – which make it stand out from many other current blues releases.

Graham Harrison

The Odd Cases—Bad Love—Frogs For Snakes

The Odd Cases are a Belgian duo of Steven Torch (vocals,
harmonica) and Bart Jult (guitars) and these ten songs (eight
originals and two covers) were recorded during two afternoons
in the studio.

It’s basic stuff just vocals, harp and guitar but I can’t help liking
the simplicity, although the guys are plugged in, with opener
‘Gotta Have That Woman’ having a particularly dirty electric
harp sound. The title track is a nice plaintive ballad and the two

covers Robert Johnson’s ‘Ramblin’ on My Mind’ and the old classic ‘CC Rider’ are both handled
sympathetically. ‘Sweetest Angel’ is done over the Sonny Boy Williamson ‘Help Me’ riff and on
‘Greasy Meat’ the boys are joined by a washboard player, while closer ‘1993’ is just Torch on
unaccompanied vocals and harmonica.

I really liked the simple directness of this album, it isn’t doing anything new but what they do
they do very well.

Graham Harrison