Through five years, and over as may CDs, the rotating personnel of
the Mannish Boys constituted an impressive array of rhythm-section member and special guest all-stars.
Shake for Me displays this potpourri of blues musicians on some classic tunes and those written by select bandmembers, each one with a special, customized feeling. With personnel ranging from duets up to horn-fired big-band charts, this quintessential backup band takes center stage on their way to deserved recognition as a premier blues group in their own right. Among the classics they cover are "Mona" welded onto the
Johnny Otis evergreen "Willie & the Hand Jive" in bompity-bomp fashion à la
Bo Diddley, with Bobby Jones singing; the slow jazz shuffle penned by
Ray Charles, "Hey Now," again with the irrepressible Jones (check out his CD with
the Mannish Boys as his backup band,
Comin Back Hard); "You Can't Be Beat," a quintessential Chi-Town/
Howlin' Wolf blues;
Little Walter's "Last Night" with mighty harmonica man
Rod Piazza; the get-down
Muddy Waters number "Champagne & Reefer"; and "Number Nine Train" in a loose
Hound Dog Taylor style also make the cut. Randy Chortkoff's "Educated Ways" is an original that stands out with a
Bill Doggett sound, as does the lengthy jam "Those Worries" featuring
Lynwood Slim on the harp. Other guests and past standout
Mannish Boys include vocalists Jones,
Finis Tasby or
Kirk Fletcher, the legendary
Arthur Adams, and harmonica specialists
Mitch Kashmar,
Johnny Dyer, Big Pete Van Der Pluijrn, Chortkoff, pianist
Rob Rio, and guitarist
Kid Ramos. The core band of guitarists Nick Curran and
Franck Goldwasser, keyboardist
Fred Kaplan, and drummer Jimi Bott have surrounded themselves with so many dynamic and distinctive performers for this set, making for a mind-blowing program of diverse blues that cannot help but be a top blues CD for 2010 and beyond. ~ Michael G. Nastos