Reviewed by Byron Defenbach

This 2005 CD features harmonica/guitar/keyboard-driven tributes to the styles of Hollywood Fats, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and T-Bone Walker .  Shuffles, swings, Texas boogie, slow minor numbers – all played with steady rhythm and great tone.  Talk about versatility!  Ronnie Owens plays harmonica and sings.  Michael Dutton is on guitar and vocals.  Tommy Hannigan plays acoustic and electric bass.  George Sheppard is on drums.  Steve Utt plays piano and Hammond B3 organ.  Nothin’ but fun.

The eleven tunes are all originals:

Long Distance Lover:  Jump blues at its finest.  Let’s jitterbug.

Wine Headed Woman:   Chester Burnett, aka Howlin’ Wolf, would be right at home on this one. 

Just Like a Woman:  Slow 12-bar in the Muddy Waters style.

Take a Chance:  Let’s swing!  Some guest saxes on this one.  Think Louis Jordan.

Life Changes:   Medium tempo Texas shuffle.

Love Trance:   A minor-keyed blues rhumba in the style of Robert Cray.

Walk The Talk:  An instrumental.  Again, think Hollywood Fats or Junior Watson.  Great harp and guitar tone.   

Just A Fool:   A 12/8 blues number where the piano and the guitar lead the way. 

She Wild:   A red hot mama piano-boogie.  You’ll need to rest after this one.

Sugar Babe:  Minor blues at its best.

Still Sweatin’:   An opening number rave-up to get the crowd on its feet at the start of a show.  Who’d have thought that so much rhythm and feeling can be conveyed with one chord.