The Mannish Boys
5 Year Anniversary
"Shake For Me"
(Blues)
In 2008, after receiving and listening to The Mannish Boys
"Lowdown Feelin'", I had no doubt it was going to be one of the Top 10
of my "Year End
Review 2008" for U.S. Releases. Not only did I add it to my Top Ten List, I
also picked it to be Number 1.
Now 2 years later I find myself in the
same situation with
The Mannish Boys 5th Anniversary Celebration called
"Shake For Me" and once again the fact it will make my Top
Albums of 2010 List, is already a sealed deal.
When it comes to the Mannish Boys, the music they make, coupled
with their constant state of unique metamorphosis, they are truly in a treasured
league all their own and you have no doubt knowing that you are really listening
to something special and enduring when their tunes hit the player.
"Shake For Me", as with their other releases, enjoys yet
another veritable who's who of the blues music industry with a dozen Special
Guests: Rod Piazza, Kid Ramos, Mitch Kashmar, Nick Curran, Mike Zito, Arthur
Adams, Johnny Dyer, Lynwood Slim, Rob Rio, Fred Kaplan, Andy Kaulkin, “Big Pete” van der
Pluijm, making this as one reviewer said, "less of a band and more of a royal jam
session".
With The Mannish Boys music, you won't find anything fake, it is
all real and true to the standard that has made the Blues such an enduring
Genre.
"Shake For Me" is filled with 16 memorable tracks of legendary
performances that will certainly put a smile on your face and a tap to your
feet.
The Mannish Boys with
"Shake For Me", seem content in just making masterpieces by
way of music.
I give this CD's, my highest rating, Five *****... It was and
will continue to be a complete joy to listen to... Highly Highly Recommended...
A major contender for this years best blues release.
John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
Other Info & Reviews
THE MANNISH BOYS: Finis Tasby: vocals / Bobby Jones: vocals / Randy Chortkoff: harmonica / Kirk “Eli” Fletcher: lead & rhythm guitar / Frank Goldwasser: vocals, slide, lead & rhythm guitar / Willie J. Campbell: electric & upright bass / Jimi Bott: drums & percussion
SPECIAL GUESTS: Rod Piazza: harmonica / Kid Ramos: lead guitar / Mitch Kashmar: harmonica / Nick Curran: guitar / Mike Zito: vocals & guitar / Arthur Admas: vocals & guitar / Johnny Dyer: vocals / Lynwood Slim: harmonica / Rob Rio: piano / Fred Kaplan: piano / Andy Kaulkin: piano / “Big Pete” van der Pluijm: vocals & harmonica
The Mannish Boys fifth album, “Shake For Me,” carries forth the tradition established by their very first effort, “That Represent Man,” by presenting an inspired program of deep, lowdown blues supported by a surprising and ever-revolving unit of world class musicians. Reprising their all-star roles in the band are Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones, Kirk Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser, and Randy Chortkoff, joined here by an entirely new and outstanding rhythm section comprised of Willie J. Campbell on bass (The James Harman Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Jimi Bott on drums (Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Woodbrain).
As is customary on any Mannish Boys release, special guests abound. Rounding out the party for this truly distinguished gathering and cause for celebration are Rod Piazza, Johnny Dyer, Mitch Kashmar, Lynwood Slim, Arthur Adams, Kid Ramos, Nick Curran, Mike Zito, Fred Kaplan, Rob Rio and Andy Kaulkin. But no festivity would be complete without at least one surprise party crasher and with that the Boys proudly introduce Dutch harp player and singer extraordinaire Pieter "Big Pete” van der Pluijm. Guaranteed to blow the roof off the joint, this towering Dutchman pays homage to Lester Butler on the storming New Orleans romp “Way Down South,” bringing to a close another chapter in what will surely be considered The Mannish Boys’ finest hour yet.
"...an infectious revival of both '40s jump and '50s to '60s Chess-like styles from a band that lives inside the music..." - Wall Street Journal
"No band makes the old new again better than The Mannish Boys." - Blues Revue Magazine
"It is both refreshing and encouraging to see a song selection that favors a broad range of little-known gems respectfully presented by a deep stable of talent." - Living Blues Magazine
The Mannish Boys are less of a band and more of a royal jam session. Every big name around today in blues is (or has been) involved with the band, and their latest release, Shake For Me, shows their combined talents off even more impressively than their previous four albums together.
Blues legends litter the lineup for Shake For Me, including: Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones, Randy Chortkoff, Kirk Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser, Willie J. Campbell, and Jimi Bott, but special guests add even more: Rod Piazza, Kid Ramos, Mitch Kashmar, Nick Curran, Mike Zito, Arthur Admas, Johnny Dyer, Lynwood Slim, Rob Rio, Fred Kaplan, Andy Kaulkin, and “Big Pete” van der Pluijm.
Their expertise shows and almost each track is perfect – you can tell that these musicians are not only stylistically similar, but that they enjoy playing together. The lyrics are funny and smart, and sung with extreme style from each of the three vocalists. “Well you say you can't go on living/if you can't be by my side/gonna send you a drink of poison/please commit suicide” the singer on “You've Got Bad Intentions” says. Other tracks are an ode to having fun, like “Champagne & Reefer.” Others are about life (“Too Tired”) and love (“You Can't Be Beat”), but all of them make a specific point.
The entire album is full of songs that make you want to dance; there are always guitar parts that make your mouth drop, harmonica parts that add an addictive melody, bass lines that add a particular groove, and drums that make the whole thing swing. It's as near to perfection as you can ask a band to get – and what else would you expect from the Mannish Boys?
Key Tracks: You've Got Bad Intentions, Way Down South, You Can't Be Beat
This is the Mannish Boys Five Year Anniversary as a band, and their fifth cd
release--it seems hard for me to believe that
a.) there was a blues world not all that long ago which somehow existed without
The Mannish Boys? and
b.) how did we get along without all these great songs?
Because the fact of the matter is that most of the songs the Mannish Boys have
committed to disc since December 2004 were pretty obscure prior to The Mannish
Boys reviving them. That was the reason for bringing the Mannish Boys into the
Delta Groove world--for the sake of the songs. Remember that. There will be a
quiz later.
The Mannish Boys make real blues music by people who love the blues as much as
we do. They are a Los Angeles based blues band who record for Delta Groove
Music. They play in the West Coast style, with occasional forays into 40s and
50s jump blues and Chicago blues. Returning on this release as the constants in
the revolving door of great musicians who have been in the Mannish Boys are
Randy Chortkoff on harmonica, Kirk "Eli" Fletcher and Frank
"Paris Slim" Goldwasser on guitars, Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones and
Johnny Dyer on vocals. New to this release is the rhythm section of Willie J
Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums, replacing Ronnie James Webber and
Richard "Big Foot" Innes.
Anyway, this disc is great, just like all their other discs. All five cds have
featured top-notch musicianship and great songs done with joy and respect and
verve. This time out the highlights include Muddy Waters' "Champagne and
Reefer" with a terrific piano line by Fred Kaplan and sung great by Johnny
Dyer, Little Walter's "Last Night" with a great harp turn by guest Rod
Piazza and vocals by Finis Tasby, and a really fun Bo-Diddleyish
"Mona/Willie & the Hand Jive" by guest Mike Zito and Bobby Jones.
I listen to the Mannish Boys cds a lot, and I enjoy them all---but one disc I
keep finding in my cd player is Kirk Fletcher's "Shades of Blue" from
2004 on Delta Groove. It features several members of what became the Mannish
Boys--Kirk Fletcher, Finis Tasby, Ronnie James Webber, Richard Innes, with
production by Randy Chortkoff. It's a really good cd. In fact, if there is an
artist whose music you enjoy who plays for, or played for, or guested on a cd by
The Mannish Boys, you should pick them up. It's a great franchise--everything is
really good. I especially encourage everybody reading this to buy the cds by The
Hollywood Fats Band and The Hollywood Blue Flames and Kim Wilson. You will thank
me later.
1. Too Tired (3:37)
2. Mona / Willie And The Hand Jive (4:23)
3. Reconsider Baby (3:07)
4. Educated Ways (3:59)
5. Half Ain't Been Told (4:59)
6. Number 9 Train (3:14)
7. Last Night (5:03)
8. Hey Now (3:16)
9. You Can't Be Beat (4:25)
10. Black nights (3:26)
11. The Bullet (4:44)
12. Those Worries (7:00)
13. Raunchy (5:31)
14. Champagne & Reeter (4:23)
15. You've Got Bad Intentions (2:46)
16. Way Down South (5:04)
2010 heralds the passing of the five year anniversary mark of the birth of Delta Groove Music. Likewise, The Mannish Boys, for whom the label was originally conceived, are similarly celebrating five years of electrifying the blues for audiences the world over. The fundamental concept of the band was simple; assemble a group of like-minded musicians to capture the spirit and joy of this timeless music, and reintroduce it for a whole new generation to appreciate and discover. This project, which was only initially envisioned as a one-time testimony to the power of the blues, has now given way to a new institution privileged with the task of preserving this music and presenting it as a vital, living, breathing entity.
Fresh out of the recording studio after laying down 17 tracks for their third studio release, The Mannish Boys come to you with more polished grit than ever before. Returning to, in essence, the original core of the band, The Mannish Boys have added even more show stopping musicians to the already dynamic lineup which makes up the one band blues festival that is The Mannish Boys. Assembled from the cream of the crop of today's blues veterans and young bloods, the flexible and rotating cast of vigorous musicians and entertainers keep things interesting and fresh.
Grinding their blues to an incandescent element through appearances before sold-out crowds and on festival stages in the U.S., Canada and in Europe, The Mannish Boys have become universally praised as one of the most exciting blues projects to hit the scene in years! The current lineup features Jimi Bott on drums, Willie J. Campbell on bass, Kirk Fletcher and Franck "Paris Slim" Goldwasser on guitar, Randy Chortkoff blowing harp and the lending vocals responsibility split between, front-men Finis Tasby and resurrected soul and blues Chicago legend, Bobby Jones bringing down the house with his intensely rich B.B.-esque vocals.
The Mannish Boys are guaranteed to bring you a show that will forever be locked in your blues vault of experiences with live music. DO NOT miss out on your chance to see this world renowned SUPER GROUP perform on a stage near you!
The Mannish Boys fifth album, "Shake For Me," carries forth the tradition established by their very first effort, "That Represent Man,' by presenting an inspired program of deep, lowdown blues supported by a surprising and ever-revolving unit of world class musicians. Reprising their all-star roles in the band are Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones, Kirk Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser, and Randy Chortkoff, joined here by an entirely new and outstanding rhythm section comprised of Willie J. Campbell on bass (The James Harman Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Jimi Bott on drums (Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Woodbrain).
The Mannish Boys featuring: Finis Tasby: "As The Years Go Passing By" @ Blues At The Lake
