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compositions. The music is supplied by Kid Ramos and the lyrics were spontaneously delivered by
Johnny as the numbers were being recorded.

The opener is a richly warming T-Bone Walker inflected, swinging groover entitled ‘All Night Long’.
Johnny’s honeyed vocal is splendidly matched by Kid’s bubbling guitar. Sweetly insistent,
melancholic horns introduce and underpin the slow burning, ‘There’s a Time For Love’. Johnny’s
softly pleading vocal is joined by splendid lonesome, drawling piano and guitar. ‘What’s The

Matter’, is a toe tapping rumba, that features enjoyably rich guitar picking and rolling piano. All the
while, the horns breeze around Johnny’s happy carefree vocals. ‘Dance Like I Should’, is most
definitely in Elmore James territory, tramping percussion, greasy insistent slide, aching, wailing

harmonica with Johnny leading from the front. ‘Can’t You See’, is an engaging Chicago double
shuffle that has wailing harmonica and guitar over rolling piano enthusiastically behind Johnny’s’
stirringly inviting vocals. ‘Gotta Do It One More Time’, is a very fine Memphis soul-stirrer that has
joyous horns leading the way, a tripping piano and smoothly delivered guitar only add to Johnny’s

creamy, infectious voice.

Most impressive!

Brian Harman.

Altered Five Blues Band—Holler If You Hear Me—Blind Pig
Records BPCD5137

Milwaukee based band Altered Five Blues Band have now
released this. their 6th album. Once again, Tom Hambridge is in
the producers’ chair overseeing the proceedings for five days of
recording in Nashville, Tennessee. The thirteen original numbers

continue to maintain the group’s muscular sound and is enhanced
by lead vocalist Jeff Taylor and his fine baritone voice, joining
him in the studio are, Jeff Schroedl, guitar, Mark Solveson, bass,

Raymond Tevich, keyboards and Alan Arber on drums, with guest
Jason Ricci on harmonica.

‘Holler If You Hear Me’, is the rousing opener with a waking, aching harmonica, duelling with hand

clapping drum work, rolling piano and swing picking guitar. These all underpin Jeff’s invitingly
warm ebullient vocals. The racing harmonica and pounding drum-led steam train that is ‘If You Go
Away (She Might Come Back)’, is an unrelentingly good time toe-tapper. The enjoyably slow blues
‘Holding On With One Hand’, is a classic tale of a love slipping away. The weeping guitar-work and

mournfully soaking harmonica only add to Jeff’s grief. On ‘All Suit, No Soul’, the grooving, urging
funk-filled guitar and pounding drums, drive this energetic morality tale, with Jeff in a more
serious mood. A brooding funky ‘Fifteen Minutes Of Blame’, is fuelled by guilt, shame and brooding,

searing organ work, entwined with a richly wailing guitar.

The slow burning P.C. free ‘Clear Conscience, Bad Memory’ is a firm declaration of a man’s devotion

to himself and his pleasures. The satisfyingly building, singeing organ, duels with a richly drawling
guitar. On the subject of conscience, ‘Leave Before I Let You Down’, is a splendid slow burner,