Released on his own label, here’s the most recent CD to be issued by one of this country’s premier R&B talents. For many years Mike Sanchez led the popular and highly respected Big Town Playboys until he decided to go it alone in 1999. The Playboys soldier on as I write this but it has been said that their heart and soul has been taken away with Mike’s departure. That might just be true but, nonetheless, Sanchez continues to work all over Europe as a hot attraction, usually leading his own band but occasionally working with someone else (he has in fact just completed a nationwide tour with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings). But anyway, to the CD in front of me. The title track opens proceedings and it’s a brisk boogie, inked by Mr S with some fine piano riffing and solo work, plus some good guitar by Andy Silvester, who some of you may remember from his days with Chicken Shack in the late 60s. Andy was an original Playboy, left the Townies in ’91, rejoined in the late 90s and plays in Mike’s current line-up. More tasty boogie sounds exude from ‘Ramblin’ Boogie’ (with nice sax from Al Nicholls) which has an Amos Milburn feel to it and ‘Red Light Shack’ which reminds me a bit of Ray Charles’ ‘Mess Around’. There’s a wider range of musical styles on this album than on yer average Mike Sanchez collection and there are two Latinesque items ‘Vamos A Bailar’ and ‘Sombras’, which demonstrate Mike’s love for Hispanic music (he was in fact born in Hackney to Spanish parents). ‘3 Months, 3 Weeks, 3 Days’ is a good blues-ballad that’s often performed on live gigs, but I wasn’t so keen on the contemporary sounding ‘Messed With An Angel’ – but if material of this sort wins him fans beyond the realms of R&B that can only be a good thing. All the aforementioned songs are original compositions but, as with all Sanchez product, there are a few covers as well in this set. To give Jesse Belvin’s ‘Goodnight My Love’ a Jamaican lilt is a bold step but Mike just pulls it off – what do you think? Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s ‘Cuttin’ In’ was always a great favourite of mine and Mike’s is a faithful recreation. There’s a subdued but swinging take on Charles Edward’s ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’, boogie seekers will go for versions of Wynonie Harris’ ‘Adam Come And Get Your Rib’ and Roy Milton’s ‘Wakin’ Up Baby’. Rounding out this CD is a spirited version of Willie Mabon’s ‘Wow, I Feel So Good’ and the jazzy ‘Coalminer’. Something for everybody then on this release which is still a pretty strong collection. Incidentally, Mike spanks the plank on one or two songs (in fact, he began his career playing guitar in a rockabilly trio called the Rockets) and if you have trouble procuring a copy of this shiny wonder, write to PO Box 143, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY10 1YU. Apparently there’s a new CD due for release any day now entitled ‘Blue Boy’. There’ll be a review of that when it comes out, you can be sure.