Page 48 - BiTS_05_MAY_2023

wonderful albums on the same theme - ‘Migration Blues’ and ‘Dear America’ – there wasn’t the
same power and freshness here but, as always, I’ll still look forward to his next album.

Graham Harrison

GA-20—Live in Loveland—Karma Chief Records—ASIN :
B0BSXQ366G

Following on from their earlier live EP GA-20 now give us a full
live album recorded direct to tape at Plaid Room Records in
Loveland, Ohio, albeit at just 30 minutes long, with their vintage
gear and vintage sounds and 11 songs of vintage lengths - one and
a half to three and a half minutes. They kick off with Harold
Burrage’s ‘I Cry For You’, followed by a bluesy take on Little
Walter’s ‘My Baby’s Sweeter’ and the brief ‘Lonely Soul’ is great
while it lasts. ‘Dry Run’ and ‘Just Because’ both have a slight
country vibe with the former having lovely reverb-laden guitar
and soulful vocals, while ‘Soul’ is a cover of a Clifton Chenier song – seemingly without any Cajun
influence. ‘Double Gettin’ has a Bo Diddley beat and ‘Crackin’ Up’ is a cover of the wonderful Bo
Diddley song and they finish with ‘By My Lonesome’ a driving rocker. The sound here is very
good with just a few of the tracks having crowd response at the ends and the band - Pat Faherty
(vocals, guitar), Matthew Stubbs (guitar) and Tim Carman (drums) - sounding very authentic
but overall a bit dull!

Graham Harrison

The Cash Box Kings—Oscar’s Motel—Alligator Records ASIN
: B0BT52SYQL

This is the 11th album from The Cash Box Kings with all of them
being authentic gut-bucket Chicago blues, this one was recorded
at Reliable Recorders/Hi-Style Studio in Chicago with the band’s
leader and harmonica player Joe Nosek in the producer’s chair.
This line up of the band features Oscar Wilson (vocals), Billy Flynn
(guitars), Lee Kanehira (keyboards), John W. Lauler (bass) and
Kenny ‘Beedy Eyes’ Smith (drums). We start off with the title track
which features Wilson on vocals and Nosek’s excellent harp and
which reminded me of a Howlin’ Wolf song, while ‘Down on the
South Side’ is a homage to the area where blues started in Chicago but it actually sounds more
like West Side Blues with its brass and lead guitar from Flynn. Muddy Waters’ ‘Please Have
Mercy’ is a delicious slow blues with great harp from Nosek and ‘I Can’t Stand You’ is a humorous
song by Nosek that features Wilson duetting on vocals with Deitra Farr.

‘Nobody Called It the Blues’ tells the story of the origins of the music and the very brief ‘Pontiac
Blues’ by Sonny Boy Williamson is a fast shuffle featuring Nosek on high register harp, while
‘Trying So Hard’ is a Muddy Waters-style blues by Billy Flynn which has him playing Muddy-style

slide guitar. ‘She Dropped the Axe on Me’ is another humorous song by Nosek and he also sings
this one as well as playing harp. ‘I Want What Chaz Has’ is a jump blues that features guest John
Nemeth on vocals and we check out with a Chuck Berry-style ‘Ride Santa Ride’, a Christmas song
(!?!) that perfectly reproduces the sounds of Chuck’s guitar and vocals and also has Lee Kanehira
tinkling away in the background just like Johnnie Johnson. This is a wonderful record that
perfectly captures the sound of classic ensemble Chicago blues but also manages to bring