Blues Blast Magazine Album Review: Brad Vickers and His Vestapolitans – That’s What They Say

Good day!

This CD review was originally published in the December 3, 2015 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans – That’s What They Say

ManHat Tone Records

www.bradvickers.com

15 tracks / 47:31

What exactly is a Vestapolitan, anyway? Vestapol (one of many spellings) is an open guitar tuning and the term is commonly used to describe the relationship between different chords. Brad Vickers uses this type of tuning, and he also was looking for a cool name that started with V for his band. It looks like he solved his dilemma, as Brad Vickers and the Vestapolitans certainly is catchy! Fortunately this group has a lot more going on than just a clever name, as their unique blend of American roots and blues is both entertaining and enthralling.

Brad, a Long Island native, is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist with impressive credentials. He has played with Bo Diddley, Hubert Sumlin, Odetta, Chuck Berry, and Jimmy Rogers, not to mention appearing on two of Pinetop Perkins’ Grammy-nominated albums. He has put out five albums of his own with his Vestapolitans since 2008 and the latest, That’s What They Say, is the best of the bunch. Vickers was joined on this project by a core crew of Margey Peters on vocals, bass, and fiddle, Bill Rankin on drums, and Dave Gross on the double bass, banjo, mandolin, percussion and piano. There were a lot more people involved in the studio, as you will soon see.

The album starts out with Tampa Red’s “Seminole Blues” and the trio of Vickers, Peters, and Rankin give this song a lovely acoustic treatment with jangly bottleneck guitar and a backbeat drums. Then the band launches into the traditional “Don’t You Love Your Daddy No More,” which was taught to Brad by Leadbelly. Matt Cowan and Jim Davis brought their sax and clarinet in on this one, which give it a cool New Orleans ragtime feel. Brad takes the lead vocals on both of these, and his voice is mellow with a laidback drawl.

After these openers, the remaining songs (a baker’s dozen!) are originals that were written by Vickers and Peters. These two have mature song-writing skills, and they penned clever lyrics to go along with the fantastic music that is heard throughout.

It sound like they had a lot of fun putting together That’s What They Say. There is a bit of Chuck Berry in “Another Lonesome Road” which is a neat duet with Brad and Margey on vocals, and a little yakety sax from Jim Davis. They also has a blast with “Mama’s Cookin’,” and Peters’ litany of international treats will get your mouth watering as she is accompanied by Davis and Matt Cowan on sax and Little Mikey on backing vocals. Both of these tunes are timeless, and sound like they could have been recorded any time in the past sixty years.

The band also cut an awesome ragtime track, “21st Century Rag,” which provides Margey and Charles Burnham the opportunity to bring out their fiddles. Like the title suggests, this song recounts how the things we have become used to are falling by the wayside. This is a funny contrast as this song has a definite old-time feel to it with its richly acoustic tone, including nice round double bass from Dave Gross.

One of the standout tracks is the a capella song, “Fightin’,” and you will find that it is certainly the most serious of the bunch. The lyrics are a wonderful blend of gospel harmonies from Vickers, Peters, and Mikey Junior, and they are a poignant conviction of the terrible things that people do and the way we treat each other nowadays.

Brad Vickers and the Vestapolitans have a winner with That’s What They Say, thanks to solid songwriting and their excellent performance in the studio. If you are a fan of roots or Americana music it would be in your best interests to check it out for yourself and pick up a copy if it strikes your fancy. If you want to see their live show you are in luck if you are on the east coast of the United States. The band has plenty of shows coming up in the Philadelphia/New York/New Jersey area as well as in Florida. Go to their website for details on shows and how to buy their CD.

1984 Squier Stratocaster SQ CST-50 Guitar Review

Aloha!

Back in June I had a good trip overseas and picked up a few awesome Stratocasters, and one of them is the lovely 1984 Squier CST-50 that we see here today. I found this one at a Hard-Off (secondhand store) in Nagoya,Japan and was amazed to see the SQ prefix serial number when I looked it over. This thing is in amazing condition for a 33-year-old instrument!

I should probably explain the whole SQ thing. SQ instruments were very early production Fender Squier instruments that were built in 1983 and 1984, and were made by a different division of Fender. SQ models have the serial numbering and markings in the same location as the JV guitars, which are even more desirable. But still, SQ instruments are nothing to sniff at; they are usually excellent quality guitars they play well and look great.

Our subject guitar today is an non-export model Squier Stratocaster, model CST-50. I can usually decipher the model codes, but this one is a bit different. I am guessing that CST stands for “Custom” or something to do with Stratocaster (with a C at the front), and the 50 surely stands for 50,000 Yen (the original price). This instrument has a neck date of 6/27/84, and the body is marked “Black” in the neck pocket, which should be pretty self-explanatory.

Indeed, this guitar is finished in glossy black with a rosewood fretboard. When I first saw the guitar I thought it must be newer as it is in really good shape, and then I was pretty stoked to realize its actual age. It is obviously all-original, from the finish to the frets to the electronics. It is a 1970s style Strat, with the big block lettering and headstock, a 3-bolt neck plate, and a bullet truss rod adjuster.

The neck is very nice. The sealed-type tuners work fine, none are bent and they do not bind, but of course they just do not look quite right – Japanese reissues usually get something wrong. The frets are good, with almost no wear; the neck is true, and the truss rod works freely. It plays great and sounds just like a Strat should. It is also not very heavy, coming in at around 7 ¾ pounds.

I am not sure how this fits into my collection, as I have two JV Stratocasters (one Fender and One Squier) as well as a lovely E-series from 1986. So, I might be selling this soon -- drop me a line if you are interested!

Mahalo!

Midnight Breakfast – Close to the Wall | Album Review

Good day!

This CD review was originally published in the November 12, 2015 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Midnight Breakfast – Close to the Wall

Glitterhouse Records

www.midnightbreakfastbluesband.com

http://label.glitterhouse.com

10 tracks / 48:13

There are times that it is not possible to put a label on a band or their music, and Midnight Breakfast from Bergamo, Italy is a perfect example of this. Over the past 30 years this blues band has developed their own tone and sound, one that bridges the roots of the genre with modern songwriting. Their latest album, Close to the Wall, is a heady piece of work that fans of any type of blues music should enjoy.

Midnight Breakfast is fronted by Marco Valietti on vocals and guitar, and for this latest project he was joined in London’s Master Chord Studio by Stefano Albertini on guitar, Luigi Cortinovis on bass, and Fabio Carenini on the skins. There are no keyboards or horns to be found on this release! Breaking with the homegrown tradition of their earlier albums, the band brought in a producer, Paolo Legramandi, to help them record all ten of their original songs over just four days. As a bonus, somehow they arranged to have the mastering completed at the venerable Abbey Road Studios. If only those walls could talk…

All of that work paid off, as Close to the Wall is a slick piece of work that has the feel of a live performance. The set kicks off with “There is a Bird” which has a Creedence Clearwater Revival swamp rock vibe, but the similarity stops once Valietti starts to sing. The words “raspy” and “throaty” are overused in album reviews, but Marco redefines these tired words with his beautifully croaking baritone. This effect plays well with the sound of the rest of the band, which uses a sparse arrangement to provide additional drama for the vocals. “You’re Talking About Your Feet” brings back the swamp rock sound (“Suzie Q”, this time), with some very tasty call and response between Marco and the lead guitar. As with the other tracks on the album, he adds a lot of extra sounds to his vocals that are not exactly words, and the overall effect is stunning.

From there they drop into a more conventional Chicago style blues on “Trying to Satisfy Myself,” with crystal clear guitar leads and a walking feel to the backline. A jangly guitar solo is the icing on the cake for this song. “Close to the Wall” is also a fine piece of fairly normal guitar-centered blues, this time with some crazy falsetto vocal work from Valietti.

The band mixes things up throughout Close to the Wall, and “One of These Mornings” is a neat song that could have been programmed on a mid-1970s progressive AOR radio station. This song has high quality guitar leads that could have come from Robin Trower, and the ostinato of bass and rhythm guitar moves things along at a markedly retrained pace. Marco shows even more vocal diversity and delivers the words in a breathless whisper.

With “I Missed the Man” and “Take Me,” Midnight Breakfast flirts a little with country blues-rock, and they do a respectable job. In fact, these tunes raise the question of whether this band could actually pull off a credible version ZZ Top’s “La Grange!”

The disc closes out with “Let Me Smoke My Last Cigarette” (how appropriate!), a slow burning blues track with subtle guitar interplay between Valietti and Albertini. A plodding and dramatic song like this would have been perfect with a little Hammond thrown into the mix, but these guys made it work anyway, and this was a perfect way to finish things up.

Midnight Breakfast’s Close to the Wall is one of the best modern blues albums of 2015, and it would definitely be worth your while to give it a listen. All ten songs are awesome by themselves, but as a whole this set is amazing and this record is the best work the band has done to date. There are no planned gig dates in the United States on their website, but hopefully they will make their way over here soon!

Tom Petty: October 20, 1950 to October 2, 2017

Rest in peace, brother.

Inventory Update: 4th Quarter of 2017

Hi there!

I have been super busy with school and work, so I have not been posting much lately, and I am not even sure wen the last time I updated my inventory, but here is the quarterly list of what is stacked up in the studio. The pile has gotten a little out of hand and I need to make some room. If you see anything here that you cannot live without, drop me a line. It is all good stuff…

First off, the basses:

∙ 1974 Aria Telecaster Bass (apart for repair)

∙ 1983 Ibanez RB630 Roadstar II

∙ 1984 Aria Pro II Wedge

∙ 1986 MIJ Fender Jazz Bass Special Short Scale

∙ 1986 MIJ Fender 1962 re-issue Precision Bass

∙ 1986 Aria Pro II SB Elite

∙ 1987 Aria Pro XRB-2A

∙ 1989 Ibanez EX405

∙ 2003 Sadowsky NYC Original P

Electric Guitars:

∙ 1965 Teisco E-110

∙ 1983 Fender JV ‘62 re-issue Stratocaster

∙ 1983 Squier JV ‘62 re-issue Stratocaster

∙ 1984 Squier SQ Stratocaster CST-50

∙ 1986 MIJ Fender ‘62 re-issue Stratocaster

∙ 1990 Gibson Les Paul Standard

∙ 2006 MIJ Fender Stratocaster XII

∙ 2008 Epiphone Les Paul Custom (Silverburst!)

∙ 2010 Gibson Explorer with custom pimp paint job

∙ LTD George Lynch Kamikaze 1

∙ Memphis Cigar Box Guitar by Matt Isbell

Acoustic Guitars:

∙ Martin Backpacker steel string

∙ Kala solid mahogany soprano ukulele

∙ Takamine EF341

Amplifiers:

∙ 1967 Acoustic 260 Guitar Head

∙ Genz Benz Shuttle 9.2 with Aguilar GS112 and GS112NT Cabinets

∙ Fender Acoustasonic 30 DSP

∙ Fender Champion 300

Check in again in January to see what is still around. As always, you know it will be different!

Mahalo!

Marius Tilly Band – Come Together | Album Review

This CD review was originally published in the November 12, 2015 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Marius Tilly Band – Come Together

String Commander

www.mariustillyband.com 11 tracks / 45:03

The Marius Tilly Band is a trio that draws inspiration from the hard blues-rock of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and blends these sounds with modern songwriting structures and lyrics. Based out of Dortmund, Germany, the members of this young band are Marius Tilly on vocals and guitar, Benjamin Oppermann on bass, and Maximilian Wastl on drums. Come Together is their sophomore effort, following up on their very good debut, Blues Colors, Red Lights. The new album’s eleven original tracks clock in at a touch over 45 minutes, and during that time a lot of musical ground is covered.

Though the content is mostly amplified and rock-based like the opener, “Believe,” there is also some nice acoustic blues to be found on this disc. “Fly” is a lovely traveling blues song with a bit of a Delta feel thanks to Tilly’s resonator guitar and howling lyrics, and “Far Away” builds with layers of guitars and textures as it sets a somber mood to close out the disc. It should be noted that through these guys are from overseas, all of the words are in English. These lyrics are quite good, and are not presented with the awkward syntax and feel that sometimes result when songs are sung outside of the vocalist’s native language. By the way, the CD includes a book of lyrics, which is a cool touch that has become quite uncommon in recent years.

Their blues work is good, but blues-rock is where the Marius Tilly band really shines. Two songs in particular, “Headaches” and “Skin’s Electric,” have a majestic infusion of funk that make them the standout tracks on Come Together. It does not hurt that both songs are very well written and the backline of Opperman and Wastl are innovative and extremely tight. Combining these elements with Tilly’s strong guitars and vocals makes these tracks a fine listening experience.

Their more conventional blues-rock songs are also solid, and like the rest of the songs on the album they are radio-friendly. “Hold On” features throaty vocals that double up with the guitar at times, which is strikingly effective and musical. Also, “Water Falls” features some lovely Hammond work from guest artist Artur Kuhfub that adds another layer of complexity to the band’s sound. There are not any two songs that sound alike here!

The trio even throws down a few pop tunes that are quite good. “Elevator Girl” is a high-energy song with heavy drums and wah pedal -infused guitar that includes some cool call and response from Wastl and Oppermann on the chorus. “Take Off” has almost the polar opposite feel, with a moody feel that is brought out by heavily processed 1980s style guitars that are processed with an abundance of delay and reverb. The final product ends up being like a mash-up of INXS and U2, if that makes any sense to the Generation X readers out there.

Come Together is a solid effort from the Marius Tilly Band with healthy servings of accessible rock, pop and blues music. Their unique sound is very likeable, and their live shows are chock full of contagious energy. Unfortunately they are only touring Europe right now, so American fans will have to make do with listening to their CDs and viewing their YouTube videos until someone starts paying attention and gets them to come to a festival here in the states.

Walter Becker: February 20, 1950 to September 3, 2017

Rest in peace, brother.