Showing posts with label Dave Keyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dave Keyes. Show all posts

Saturday, November 11, 2017

#302 : Popa Chubby - Two Dogs


2017 – Popa Chubby Productions
Release Date : Nov. 27,  2017

By Phillip Smith; Nov 11, 2017


I’ve been a fan of Ted Horowitz, also known as Popa Chubby, since 2003, when I saw him live in Memphis, TN at the Beale Street Music Festival.  I still remember being so impressed with not only his mastery of the guitar, but with the amount of passion he poured into his performance on that blistering hot day.  It’s only been about a year since his previous album, The Catfish hit the shelves, and he has already set a new bar of excellence with his latest, Two Dogs.   This is my absolute favorite released so far.  Boasting thirteen tracks of hot electric rocking blues, the record features two bonus live tracks, covering Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, and The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil”. Besides the fabulous Dave Keyes on keys, Sam “Freight Train” Bryant on drums, and Andy Paladino on bass, Popa Chubby also is accompanied by his daughter Tipitina Horowitz on trumpet, along with Andrew Garrison on tenor saxophone.

“It’s Alright” magnificently jump-starts the album with a searing guitar intro and keeps marching on with an infectious melody and charismatic attitude.  I immediately fall for the captivating blues riff Popa Chubby plants in “Rescue Me”.  Then, when he unleashes into the bridge, it sounds so damn good, especially with the full sound of the organ lingering in the background.  As Keyes tears it up, Chubby gets down and totally rips it up in a fantastic Neil Young kind of way, bringing “Dirty Old Blues” to the top of stack of my favorites.  “Shakedown” is another great song.  It’s gritty, bluesy and loaded with gobs of psychedelic guitar goodness.  It’s almost a one man show for the smooth and jazzy instrumental “Clayophus Dupree”, as Popa Chubby plays guitar, bass, and drums, with Keyes applying his signature vibrant texture to the song on organ.

Popa Chubby undoubtedly hit the bullseye as far as this album is concerned.   Two Dogs is hands down one of the best blues-rock albums released this year.      


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