Mannish Boys Big Plans CD

The second studio album by contemporary electric blues supergroup the Mannish Boys delivers straightforward Chicago-style blues in an unfussy setting. The list of special guests is as long as the nine-piece band, including guest singers Jody Williams and Bobby Lee Jones, guitarist Rick Holmstrom, pianist Rob Rio, bassists Jeff Big Dad Turmes and Larry "The Mole" Taylor, harmonica player Mitch Kashmar and saxophonist David Woodford. As a result, no one singer or instrumentalist predominates, giving Big Plans a sort of R&B revue feel. The songs are mostly originals by members of the band including bandleader Randy Chortkoff and slide guitarist Frank Goldwasser; while the band get points for largely avoiding the temptation to simply bash out the usual electric blues suspects, none of the album's original material sounds likely to join the blues canon. A fairly low-key, genial album, Big Plans is considerably less than its title suggests, but it's likely enough for fans of contemporary electric blues. ~ Stewart Mason

The Mannish Boys return with their highly anticipated studio release featuring a stunning lineup which includes Finis Tasby, Johnny Dyer, Kirk Fletcher, Rick Holmstrom, Kid Ramos, Frank Goldwasser, Mitch Kashmar, Leon Blue, Rob Rio, Larry Taylor, Jeff Tu

Audio Mixers: Doug Messenger; Randy Chortkoff.

Liner Note Author: Scott Dirks.

Recording information: Hard Drive, Analog & Digital Studios, North Hollywood,.

Photographer: Joshua Temkin.

Mannish Boys: Frank 'Paris Slim' Goldwasser, Kirk Fletcher (guitar); Kid Ramos (baritone guitar); Leon Blue (piano); Richard 'Big Foot' Innes (drums); Tom Leavey, Finis Tasby, Johnny Dyer, Randy Chortkoff.

Personnel: Jody Williams (vocals, guitar); Johnny Dyer, Randy Chortkoff (vocals, harmonica); Rob Rio, Leon Blue (vocals, piano); Finis Tasby, Bobby Lee Jones (vocals); Kid Ramos (guitar, slide guitar); Mitch Kashmar (harmonica); Jeff Big Dad Turmes (alto saxophone, upright bass); David Woodford (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Larry Taylor (upright bass); Tom Leavey (electric bass).

Additional personnel: Bobby Jones (vocals); David 'Woody' Woodford (baritone saxophone); Jeff Scott Fleenor (sequencer); Rick Holmstrom (background vocals); Rob Rio, Jeff Big Dad Turmes, Jody Williams, Larry Taylor , Mitch Kashmar.

Living Blues (p.41) - "The Mannish Boys seem to be in command of virtually every classic, neo-classic, obscure, and almost-unknown riff and lick in the postwar cannon, and they approach it with unfettered enthusiasm and commitment."