#594 > Tas Cru - Riffin' the Blue (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2023 – SubCat Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 28, 2023

Release Date : Feb. 3, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Riffin’ the Blue, the latest from New York bluesman Tas Cru, certainly lives up to its name.  The riffs are infectious and deliciously bluesy, making for a fantastic new batch of home-grown originals from Tas.  The album is self-produced and features Tas on vocals and guitar with Mary Ann Casale on backing vocals, Ron Keck on percussion, Bruce Katz on piano/organ, Andy Hearn on drums, and Bob Purdy on bass.  Special guests include Mike Zito, Lenny Milano, and Bill Barry.

With Zito tearing it up with a smoking performance on lead guitar, the album bursts wide open with the title-track “Riffin’ the Blues”.  The organ accompaniment from Barry sounds glorious on this rocking blues shuffle.  A funky beat and a swinging rhythm is the backbone for the rally cry of “Stand Up”.  It’s an absolute favorite which quickly brings me up on my feet.  I love the lush Mark Knopfler-ish tone Tas pulls out of his guitar on “Throw it All Away”.  Tas’ approach to writing and composing often reflect a Warren Zevon kind of style.  “Crazy Getting in My Way” is a fine example of a song which falls into that category.  It’s quite an amazing track.  Riffin’ the Blue concludes with the haunting blues of “Memphis Gone” which showcases the talent of Zito on slide guitar.  The emotion Tas poignantly pours into his vocal and guitar performance is deeply felt.    

Riffin’ the Blue is a brilliant album and is now my favorite release from Tas Cru.  I highly recommend this one. 

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For more information about Tas Cru, visit his website at : https://tascru.com

 

Check out other PhillyCheeze reviews for Tas Cru at :  https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=tas+cru

 

 

#429 : Tas Cru - Drive On

2020 – Subcat Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 25, 2020

Tas Cru (Rick Bates) has been on my radar since reviewing his Simmered & Stewed album in 2017.  Since then, I’ve seen him perform some kick-ass blues live at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis and the Prairie Dog Blues Festival in Wisconsin.  Drive On, his latest album is another superb recording of music rooted in the blues.  With backing vocals from Mary Ann Casale, Tas keeps front-and-center on lead vocals, guitars, and harmonica.  Adding a lush new sound to his music is the new guy Saxophonist Anthony Terry.  The band also includes Gabe Stillman on slide guitar, organist Anthony Geraci, bassist Bob Purdy and drummer Andy Hearn.  Special guests include drummers Sonny Rock and Cathy Lamanna, and Colin “Big Yellow Dog” Beatty on bass.       

Tas kicks this one off with “That Lovin’ Thang”.  Delivered with a cool, swinging groove and a hot keyboard lesson from Geraci, this barn-burner is an absolute gem.  Stillman loads “Money Talks”, up with a nice juicy dose of slide guitar.  Title-track “Drive On” is so sweet and infectious, it’s certainly among my favorites.  Sonny Rock, who has toured with Tas quite a bit over the past few years, makes a guest appearance on “Save Me”, a heady tune with a Doors-meets-Dire Straits atmosphere.   On a haunting and ominous note, the album concludes with “Devil in Your Heart”, an acoustically-performed duet with Mary Ann Casale.  I love the fact that this is stripped-down, where we can zero in on the vocal performance.  They sound great together. 

Whether live or on record, Tas is one of my favorites.  His songs are almost always originals, and his writing stands out from the herd,  Drive On is indeed another terrific album. 

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Mary Ann Casale , Tas Cru @ Prairie Dog Blues Festival

 Prairie du Chien, WI

 July 26, 2019

* Photo by Phillip Smith

Tas Cru - Simmered & Stewed

2016 – Vizztone Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 21, 2017

As New York blues artist Tas Cru explains, he is returning to his ‘acoustic-ish’ blues roots on his latest album, Simmered  & Stewed.  He breathes a delightful new life into a handful of his older recorded material with the use of his acoustic, resonator and cigar box guitars. 

Cru gets a spirited and running start on the outstanding “Dat Maybe”, revving up his resonator through the driving beat supplied by Andy Hearn, a juicy wall of harmonica from Dick Earl Ericksen and a soulful organ accompaniment from Guy Nirelli.  It’s impossible to escape the gravitational pull of the trance groove Tas embeds in “Feel I’m Falling”.  Distant backing vocals and Ron Keck’s spacy ominous percussion add to the haunting vibe in this brilliantly psychedelic cry for help.  David Liddy’s rollicking barrelhouse piano playing shines bright through the saucy and manic blues of “Biscuit”.  Shout outs to the legendary Delta Blues great Robert Lockwood Jr. and the voice of KFFA’s King Biscuit Flour Hour ‘Sunshine’ Sonny Payne also bring a smile to my face.

Simmered & Stewed is chock full of all original tunes, with the exception of one song.  As the only cover on the album, the 1967 Jackie Wilson hit song “Higher and Higher” deliciously and slowly builds to a fast boil in the uplifting form of a southern gospel ten revival session. This is a nice treat indeed.  Thus the album comes to its finish, and I say, Amen brother!    

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