THE KNICKERBOCKER ALL-STARS

OPEN MIC AT THE KNICK

2015-01-11

The Knickerbocker Café in Westerly, RI has hosted countless blues bands over the years and is legendary for its Sunday night open mic jams. Starting in the 70's with Roomful of Blues as the host, the club brought in everyone that is anyone in the East Coast blues scene- and that isn't faint praise. This disc pairs a number of Roomful Alumni including Sugar Ray Norcia, Curtis Salgado, Rich Lataille, Fran Christina and Al Copley with the likes of Malford Milligan (Storyville), Johnny Nicholas (Asleep at the Wheel, Johnny Nicholas and the Rhythm Rockers), David Maxwell (James Cotton, John Lee Hooker) and the members of the Ricky King Russell Band and the Cadillac Horns. While the bill of fare here is nothing but covers the result is a top notch blues juke box with material including classics such as Gene Barge's "Mother-In-Blues", Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby", Roy Milton's "It's Later Than You Think", Don Nix' "Going Down", Don Robey's "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Ain't That Lovin' You", Big Bill Broonzy's "Somebody's Got To Go", and Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years". With everything from jump blues to R & B to straight out blues this disc is a delight from beginning to end. A guaranteed great listen. Smitty