We didn’t have room in the last catalogue to give this the mention it deserves but long time Sanchez fans bought it by the ton and are loving it. Now we want to persuade you folks who aren’t familiar with his work that you should be giving him a go.
Mike Sanchez is simply one of the best R&B musicians around. It’s obvious when you hear him play that rockin’ hard- boppin’ piano or shouting out the blues in that superb voice, that his art is a tribute to the true innovators and stylists who first breathed life into this great music. And if you’re lucky enough to catch a live show, you’ll be raving about it for weeks.
He made some cracking records in the past few years but this must be the daddy of ‘em all. Recorded with the Swedish band led by Knockout Greg, a group who live and breathe vintage R&B, this one sheer ball-bustin’ blast of hard boppin’blues at its best.The thing never lets up for a minute –it’s hard rockin’ all the way from Roy Brown’s “Cadillac baby”, Whyonie’s “All She Wants To Do Is Rock” to Jimmie Liggin’s “Drunk” with some tremendous self-penned gems in between. If there’s a bad track on this, I can’t find it. I like stuff like the big bopper “Hot Dog” that feature some tremendous tenor sax from Tobbe Eliasson and there’s a really dynamite version of Billy Emerson’s “If Loving Is Believing” that includes a real nasty, smokin’ guitar solo.
Sanchez’s piano playing is as spectacular as ever especially on the bompin’ “Gamblin’ Woman Blues” and listen to him burn up those bass notes on “Easy Boogie”. He’s played with some great groups in the past –Big Town Playboys, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings among others but this collaboration with Knockout Greg and the boys has an authenticity and dynamism that makes me think this is the best yet.
If you go for blues with a bounce, this is for you –and if you’re an old-died-in-the-wool R&B freak, here’s a
contemporary band that certainly captures that special 50’s magic. Five star stuff.