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SADIE MAE (BBCD1004) Selected reviews... |
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Guitar One Magazine (August 2005) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No Depression (September/October 2005) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Living Blues Magazine (September/October 2005) Moss draws on inspiration from his beloved family members. The title track was named after his baby daughter. Other songs detail an ignoble ghetto personality and warn about those whose ambition is purely for self advancement. Moss’ mean guitar echoes John Primer during 'Grease Monkey.' To Moss’ songwriting credit, his 12 originals mesh nicely with the covers. Sometimes Moss can’t resist emulating his heroes. 'The Bishop' sounds like Magic Sam while 'One-Eyed Jack' and 'The Money I Make' replicate Muddy Waters’ sound. A heavy organ braces the wah wah on Earl Hooker’s 'You Got To Lose,' done in Hooker’s style. 'Gone Hoggin’,' an advanturous instrumental, features Elmore James-style slide guitar. Jimmy Rogers’ 'Crazy Woman Blues' includes nice harmonica and piano playing. Moss also plays burly harp on one of the disc’s highlights, 'Everybody Got To Go.' The album was recorded in Moss’s basement studio, and the raw sound of ’50s and ’60s Chicago blues has been captured. Although the golden age is long over, these guys are—thankfully—stuck in a time warp." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blues Revue Magazine (October/November 2005) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chicago Sun Times (June 19, 2005) 3 1/2 STARS! The Chicagoan’s fourth album, the title track of which was named for Moss’ daughter (who in turn was named for Hound Dog Taylor and John Lee Hooker songs), finds Moss making great strides as a songwriter, with 12 of the 16 tunes self-penned. His four like-minded bandmates also show the influences of blues legends on Sadie Mae. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Big City Blues Magazine (August/September 2005) Three covers also tantalize. A wild and wooly treatment of Earl Hooker’s philosophical 'You Got To Lose' is followed by a rolling, shuffling reworking of Lefty Dizz’s tempestuous 'If I Could Get My Hands On You,' and an ambitious version of mentor Jimmy Rogers’ atmospheric 'Crazy Woman Blues.' That effectively offsets Nick’s strong, weathered vocal gyrations against Welsh’s Otis Spann-styled piano and the piercing harpwork of Hundt. It’s my favorite track on the album. Strong runners-up include 'The Bishop' (a true-life tale of a notorious local ghetto pimp, one Bishop Don Magic Juan) with its distinctive West Side flavor (Magic Sam is smiling somewhere), the title tune (penned for his newborn daughter) that evokes Hound Dog Taylor in all his wild, slashing glory and the lively, after-hours favorite 'Grease Monkey.' Also noted is the feral, Howlin’ Wolf verve of 'The Money I Make' and the rollicking 'Just Like That,' that for all the world sounds like Muddy and Little Walter jamming, circa 1956. If you’re getting tired of all the overblown soul-blues and blue-rock projects that seem all the rage at the moment, order this one up—channeled directly from those long-gone days when Muddy and Wolf roamed the earth, hollering and electrifyting the stark Delta blues of their youth. It doesn’t let up from start to finish. And the Wheelchair Man says to play it loud!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dirty Linen (October/November 2005) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midwest Record Recap (May 10, 2005) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sing Out! (Winter 2006) Moss has the good fortune, as a youth, to be mentored by Chicago guitar legends Jimmy Rogers (a lengthy jam on his vivid 'Crazy Woman Blues' is one of the few covers) and Jimmy Dawkings. This tutelage shows in both his crisp, richly patterned fretwork and matter-of-fact, grainy singing—both containing bold yet non-pretentious textures and phrasing that allow the emotional depth of his songs to shine through. Tracks like the sizzling 'One Eyed Jack,' with its Muddy Waters atmosphere; the slow boiling, high-gear title song (written for his newborn daughter) and a true-to-life, West Side guitar inflected portrait of the ghetto personality 'The Bishop' are good examples. Producer Moss also tosses a couple of feet and hip shaking, TGIF instrumentals into the mix. Welsh’s piano boogie-woogie 'The Coldcut Stomp' has that old-time Cecil Gand celerity to it while Moss' own closing, Latin-accented 'Gone Hoggin’' and a crackling, drum-slamming 'Ridin' At The Ranch' must have the dance floors packed every night. Moss demonstrates more confidence in his abilities with each project—this 16-tracker is his best yet." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grand Rapids Press (June 15, 2005) In fact, the raw, live-club sound that ekes through in this throwback project is puposeful, evoking images of the musicians Moss does such a masterful job of honoring with his own talent: Muddy Waters, Jimmy Dawkins, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush and others. Through 16 tracks, most of them originals, Moss makes sure his fourth album puts a decisive stamp on his emerging status as one of Chicago’s most captivating blues-meisters." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Virginian-Pilot (September 9, 2005) 'I don’t try to re-invent the wheel, I’m not trying to take the blues to the next level or in another direction, I’m just trying to preserve what was handed down to me,' Moss says in the liner notes. It’s old-school Chicago electric blues that would make Muddy Waters and Hound Dog Taylor smile. This one’s guaranteed to smoke your next blues barbecue." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Round Rock Leader (May 19, 2005) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the web: AllMusic.com (August 2005) go to the website --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blues On Stage (September 2005) go to the website Nick Moss is one of the hardest working bluesman around playing hundreds of dates a year and pushing out three quality records in the past three years. And there is no one living who can play and write vintage Chicago Blues like Nick Moss. On each record, Nick assembles quality players (The Flip Tops) that capture the Chicago sound that makes you feel like you’re in the original Checkerboard Lounge sipping a bourbon. Nick’s Robert Johnson style vocals, biting tube-amp guitar, and Chicago rhythm anchor down each song on Sadie Mae. And Nick is subtle and versatile, knowing when to kick in a solo and when to showcase his band. His songwriting is as strong as ever, telling blues tales that are both upbeat and down and out. Pathos is the quality that would best describe the overall feel of Nick’s sound and presentation, that sad empathy that is the antithesis of the Chicago blues. A younger veteran of the Chicago Blues scene, supporting Jimmy Rogers for years and playing and learning from the best Chicago Blues artists, Nick pulls no punches on the 16 tracks on Sadie Mae. The Flip Tops, Nick’s working band, include pianist Bob Welsh, formerly with Charlie Musselwhite and Rusty Zinn. Gerry Hundt provides rhythm guitar, keen harp throughout the record and lead guitar on one track. Drummer Victor Spann and bassist Dave Wood hold down the rhythm section. Each song carries a central blues theme. “I Never Forget” is a warning to a spurned lover, “Check my Pulse (I Believe I Must Have Died)” sounds like a recovery from “I Never Forget” as Nick falls in love all over again. This number is flavored with some great piano chops from Bob Welsh. “Just Like That”, is one of those tunes where everyone chimes in on the tag line and features some fine harp work by Gerry Hundt. “Ridin’ at the Ranch”, a texas swing instrumental reminiscent of T-Bone Walker, features some truly spectacular guitar from Nick. “One Eyed Jack”, pulls back to the down home Chicago blues vibe that’s Nick’s trademark sound. Clever lyrics and nice showcasing by the ensemble pull you right in. Things slow down again “The Bishop”, a song about Bishop Don Magic Juan, Nick adds some effects to his typically clean guitar sound and offers an outstanding solo. Welsh adds the organ on this and the next tune with a dedication to Earl Hooker on Jackie Brentston’s “You Got to Lose”. This features Nick playing a wah wah solo. Nick has found his strengths on his vocals and uses them very well on this tune. Back to Chicago with Jimmy Rogers’ “If I Could Get My Hands On You” and conviction comes through. There’s absolutely nothing tentative on this record and demonstrates that Nick has matured over his last three projects. Dirty harp work on this song by Gerry Hundt warns Nick to hang on to this guy as long as he can. The band goes all out on Lefty Dizz’s “If I Could Get My Hands On You” giving it that “top of third set” bar performance when the crowd is rocking and ready. Hundt leads the solos on this one, Nick follows with an intense one, and the song cruises along very nicely. The CD winds down with three more cuts (did I mention that Nick is prolific) “Crazy Woman Blues”, a slow ballad, “Everybody Got to Go”, a John Lee Hooker style diddy, and “Gone Hoggin’” a ’60s style surf instrumental that takes a detour to the delta. It’s a wind down encore to the album and leads us out the exit door. Production-wise this couldn’t be a better sounding Chicago Blues record; it has a vintage quality, but doesn’t sound dated, recorded cleanly and distinctly. Nick handles the production from his basement studio—and I’ve always thought that some of the best stuff comes out of the cave versus the sacristy of most commercial recording studios. Sadie Mae is well-packaged, from the cover that depicts Nick’s Sadie Mae tattoo and guitar, to the well written liner notes and photos (including a beauty of the infant Sadie Mae running the controls). Kate Moss (Moonshine Productions), Nick’s wife, does a tremendous job of tying everything together. The emphasis is on Nick’s stature as a true preservationist and how his tenure under Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Dawkins, Willie Smith and Buddy Scott rolls into a rich Chicago sound. Dick Shurman, Blues producer and historian authors the liner notes. Another nice touch is that the disk itself looks just like vinyl, jet black and finished with faded label and grooves. Nick appears more relaxed on this recording than any previous one, taking command, but as a benevolent leader, coaxing his band in lieu of dragging it out of them. This is a tight-knit group and well worth it if you can get out to see them at a club near you. Lookout Chicago—’cause Nick Moss may be crowned the new King of the Chicago Blues with records like Sadie Mae." —Dave Glynn --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blueswax.com (September 2005) go to the website Moss puts the hammer down as we glide out to the suburbs for a little Boogie Woogie, Chicago style, on 'Ridin' At The Ranch.' This song boogies so strong that I'm dancing while I'm typing; it really represents Moss' guitar ability along with some premium piano work by Bob Welsh. 'One Eyed Jack' conjures up the backrooms of Chicago's juke joints back in the day with big greasy harp by Hundt, low-down vocals by Moss, a sweet rhythm section with those black and white 88s slipping in and out. There is a generous 16 tracks on this must-add-to-your-collection CD. It winds its way through Chicago just like we used to in a '67 Chevy Impala with the 8-track blaring and a Saturday night special in our hip pocket. 'The Cold Cut Stomp,' a boogie instrumental, will certainly get your juices flowing. 'The Bishop' follows, just so we don't get too far down the road, this one brings us right back to Maxwell Street. Also be sure to check out 'Crazy Woman Blues' for some serious snatch it back and hold it right there Blues. Chicago is a big town and Nick Moss and the Flip Tops have added immense volume to the sound we have enjoyed for years. In his own words, 'I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel,' he says with characteristic modesty, 'or trying to bring things into the new millennia. I'm just playing what was handed down to me and do it justice. I have a lot of respect for the guys who taught it to me—I played with Jimmy Dawkins, I played with Willie Smith, I played with Jimmy Rogers—and in my heart I love [this music] and I don't feel it has to be changed much.' Nick Moss shows his respect for his peers and justice has been done." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mary4Music.com (June 2005) go to the website Sadie Mae, Nick Moss’s newest and fourth CD is sure to receive the same critical acclaim that his previous three releases have. With the last two having received W.C. Handy Award nominations, Sadie Mae might just have Nick hoping that the third time will indeed be a charm. The CD’s title, by the way, is a tribute to Kate and Nick Moss’s first child - Sadie Mae Moss. Born (in May of 2004), she is named after a Hound Dog Taylor song. Nick’s producing didn’t stop there. On Sadie Mae, twelve of the tracks are Nick Moss originals and he is the CD’s mixer and producer as well. On top of that, the product was recorded in Nick’s brand new studio—in his home—with just the working members of his band which consist of: Gerry Hundt on harmonica, rhythm guitar and lead guitar; Bob Welsh on piano and organ; Dave Wood on bass: Victor Spann on drum; And of course Nick Moss on lead vocals, lead guitar, harmonica and rhythm guitar. The opening and title track contains all of the fatherly emotions you’d expect from a song written by a proud dad in honor of his first child. Nevertheless, this is blues at it’s rawest. With the band in a nice tight groove, Nick tears it up. This one is all about the blues guitar. 'I Never Forget' as well as several other tracks on this CD, show me some of the effects Anson Funderburgh may have had on Nick Moss while working together on Nick’s last CD. The Flip Tops seem to be so comfortable together and in a constant groove very similar to the one the Rockets are constantly in. 'Crazy Woman Blues', is one of the few covers and also one of the few ballads on this production. It’s highlighted by some very soulful harmonica playing by Gerry and lots of wonderful, soft piano work by Bob. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CosmikDebris.com (September/October 2005) go to the website --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Puremusic.com (Issue 49) go to the website When I write disparagingly of blues revival artists, it is not because they are re-hashing rather than re-conceiving a cherished art form. It is because so often, regardless of the quality of the music itself, new blues records tent to be sonically sterile. It seems that if you are trying to carry on a tradition, you should get it right—and that is where Nick Moss comes in. Sadie Mae is the work of a young guitarist who has absorbed the blues—not note by note in his bedroom somewhere, but on the road with old masters from Chicago. His solos sound like he is speaking to us, not showing us what he has learned. And for a change, the music has been recorded in a way that reminds me why the blues changed my life. It is a tribute to Moss's talents as a producer that the band sounds as if it is playing together in a funky live room—whether or not it actually was. (As legendary producer Jerry Wexler once said, '...the whole thing about recording is the attempt at verisimilitude—not truth, but the appearance of truth.') And oh yeah, the kid can play. Chops are there when he needs them, but better yet he has mastered the twin essential ingredients of the form: time and space. His guitar sits right in the pocket regardless of how intense he gets—and he does get intense. On the title shuffle, Moss's axe cuts a swathe a mile wide through the rhythm section with ear-piercing distortion. Switching tones to an emotive honk for the swinging Freddy King-style stomp 'Ridin’ At The Ranch,' he never lets his technique get in the way, content to leave plenty of holes for his bandmates to fill. And what mates they are. Gerry Hundt serves admirable double duty on idiomatically perfect and wildly expressive harmonica and rhythm guitar, while Bob Welsh summons up the ghost of Otis Spann on piano. Drummer Victor Spann and bassist David Wood provide the brilliant eccentricities of rhythm found in the early work of Fred Below and Willie Dixon. With their leader they know the Chicago trick of making everything fit together perfectly though it seems as if everyone is playing at once. Most of the tunes are Moss originals, though they sound like blues classics. This makes him a triple threat, rare among the recent crop of revivalists in that he can also really sing—in a voice that, at its best, recalls a young Junior Wells. The Chicagoan claims that he is not doing anything new, and this is true. But by accurately capturing not just the letter but also the spirit and the sound of the Chicago blues, he has made them worth following into the future. —Michael Ross --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BanditBluesRadio.com go to the website You must get a copy of Sadie Mae. This album is chalked full of that gutbucket sharped-edged guitar sound; it’s tough driving music that has a very powerful wallop! Some of my favorite tracks are 'If I Could Get My Hands On You' which has a Junior Wells feel to it, also the track 'The Bishop' which is a portrait of the famed ghetto personality Bishop Don Magic Juan, and my favorite track is the title cut 'Sadie Mae' which refers to his first child, a daughter born May 19, 2004 and named after Hound Dog Taylor and John Lee Hooker songs. 'Feel So Ashamed' is another favorite which features Gerry Hundt on guitar which is a fan of the late Fenton Robinson and does him proud on this cut! This is a piece of blues music that every blues fan should own, it’s a Chicago blues history lesson without imitation. Nick Moss is a worthy candidate to carry on the tradition of the blues! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GoodSound.com go to the website |
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