2015 – Blind Pig Records
By Phillip Smith; May 16, 2015
Chicago blues masters The Cash Box Kings return again to
serve up a nice and healthy dose of classic-sounding blues on their new album, Holding Court. Stomping through the decades, they seem very
at home playing in the musical styles prevalent during the Thirties through the
Fifties. Joe Nosek, and Oscar Wilson
continue to front the band, and it absolutely pleases me to see Barrelhouse Chuck back on piano/organ, as
well drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
sitting in on three tracks.
Nosek holds
down the harmonica, and Joel Paterson
delivers great twangy licks on lead guitar while kicking things off with the Willie Dixon cover, “I Ain’t Gonna Be
No Monkey Man”. They also nail down a
sweet cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Hobo
Blues”. Paterson plays it nice and slow.
The Cash Box Kings certainly have a knack for bringing current issues to light in their
lyrics. “Download Blues”, written by Nosek, documents the monetary hardships
musicians face these days because of illegal downloading on the back of a common
devil-may-care attitude about sharing copyrighted material. Whereas “Gotta Move
Out to the Suburbs” is a commentary about folks living in the inner city, being
pushed out of their homes, to make way for expensive high-rises and skateboard
parks. Both are favorites.
It’s so nice to hear the Blues
presented in the unadulterated manner The
Cash Box Kings meticulously perform it.
Holding Court is true gem.
