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R E V I E W S

Wily Bo Walker & Danny Flam—Ain’t No Man A Good Man—
Mescal Canyon Records MCREX061

Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Wily (as in Coyote) has been
recording and performing the blues across the world for over forty
years. Although he may not be a household name he is well known
within the blues world and was inducted into the American Blues
Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist in December 2016. This
album is a second collaboration with Danny Flam of New York
Brass, their last, ‘Moon Over Indigo,’ was released in 2015. Here,

with Wily in the producer’s chair, they have gathered together over
thirty of their musical associates to create ten very interesting
numbers. Wily takes lead guitar and Danny provides the horn section.

On ‘Ain’t No Man A Good Man,’ and ‘Fool For You (2020 Hindsight),’ a heady mixture of punching
shrill trumpet and trombone, satisfyingly connect with a densely powerful mid-sixties British
guitar and searing, swirling Hammond organ, while Wily’s burly, rasping growl enhances the soul-
blues atmosphere, which is already thick with menace. This mood continues with the eerily
haunting and grooving Samba of ‘Dancing With The Devil (Blood On My Hands),’ the splendidly
exotic, swirling and gripping guitar work is courtesy of Mike Ross. The musical journey stops off in
New Orleans, with ‘Did I Forget,’ here, an enjoyably fat playful swaying and tramping baritone
saxophone from Ron Bertolet, evokes fond memories of Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry. Sweet, warm
drenching horns and a richly grooving guitar introduce ‘Night of The Hunter,’ a tale of bourbon
soaked loss, love and other painful woes. A low, but energetic train paced saxophone introduces
‘St. James Infirmary Blues,’ while vamping keyboards take up the pace, along with a pounding
percussion, ringing guitars and a swinging brass section. A sinister, depressive slowburner ‘Build
My Gallows (Ain’t No Return),’ is a mournful horn blaster that returns to the main theme of loss
and sorrow as a low growling bass and guitar are driven by maudlin percussion.

Greatly endorsed!

Brian Harman.

Crooked Eye Tommy—Hot Coffee and Pain—Blue Heart Records

BHR 003

Tommy and Paddy Marsh are guitarists and vocalists from
Ventura County; together they formed CET in 2013 and released
their debut album ‘Butterflies and Snakes’ in 2015. The band has
in the recent past been IBC semi finalists in both 2014 and 2019.
The brothers reached the IBC finals in 2020 as a duo. Now, they
have released their second band album. Joining them in the
Carbonite Sound studio in Ojai California are: Samuel Corea; bass,
Charlie McClure; drums, Craig Williams; saxophones and Jimmy
Calire on Hammond B3 and horns.
The album opens with ‘Death Letter Blues,’ this is a less than intense rendition, with the gently
enticing twin lead guitars swimming, swirling around Tommy’s matter of fact vocals, backed with a