#312 : Ghalia & Mama’s Boys - Let the Demons Out

2017 –Ruf Records

Release Date : January 12, 2018

By Phillip Smith; Jan 6, 2018

Belgian singer/songwriter/guitarist Ghalia Vauthier has teamed up with New Orleans’ bluesmen Johnny Mastro and Mama’s Boys to record one hell of a blues-rock album, Let the Demons Out.  Ghalia’s vocals, strong and sexy, sound fantastic paired with Mastro’s blazing harmonica, Smokehouse Brown’s sizzling guitar, Dean Zucchero’s beefy bass, and Rob Lee’s crashing drums. 

To jumpstart the album, Ghalia takes the listener on a late night/early morning food run in “4AM Fried Chicken”.  A dazzling guitar solo from Smokehouse highlights this hopping treat smothered in a bowlful of boogie.   A hypnotizing rhythm sided with a haunting melody driven by Johnny Mastro draws me tightly in to title track “Let the Demons Out”. Ghalia’s vocals on “Press That Trigger” are wonderfully fearless like that of Pat Benatar and Chrissie Hynde.  Johnny Mastro’s harp is ablaze on “Have You Seen My Woman”.  Smokehouse absolutely tears it up on this one.  Gentle waves of cymbals and a trance-inducing slide guitar riff set the stage as Ghalia beautifully delivers a masterpiece called “Addiction”.  She sings this ballad about love and co-dependence with splendid heartfelt emotion.

Let the Demons Out is a solid album, and a thoroughly delightful listen from start to finish.  Ghalia & Mama’s Boys sound great together and make quite a powerful partnership.  I hope they continue to work together.

 

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Albert Castiglia - Big Dog

2016 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; June 25, 2016

I’ve always enjoyed hearing Albert Castiglia play the Blues, but there is something about his latest album, Big Dog, that grabs ahold of me and just latches on.  Castiglia surrounds himself with extremely talented musicians: bassist Scot Sutherland, drummer Rob Lee, and Lewis Stephens on keys & piano.  For the icing on the cake, Mike Zito also performs on guitar and produced the album as well. 

Castiglia enters the album guns-a-blazing, holding back nothing, lobbing immense and intense guitar licks as if grenades on a battlefield, in the monster opening track “Let the Big Dog Eat”.  Castiglia advises promising musicians that hard work is the key to success in the song, “Get Your Ass in the Van”.  He lays down lots of sweet killer slide guitar on this original track, while satirically making his point, singing “This ain’t no American Idol.  There ain’t no more deals being made at the cross-roads.”. Castiglia then goes deep on his four-star cover of Luther Allison’s “Drowning at the Bottom”.  I can feel the blues oozing from his pores as he beautifully plays this soulful tear-jerker. This is my absolute favorite.  Stephens’s organ performance adds a cool Allman Brothers vibe on “Let’s Make Love in the Morning”.  This soulful, feel-good song puts a smile on my face with every listen.             

Big Dog is so hot and electric; it is pretty much an instant classic.     

Mike Zito & the Wheel - Keep Coming Back

2015 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Dec 26, 2015

 

Mike Zito is quickly becoming one of my favorite songwriters.  His lyrics have a way of connecting with the working class, and the music to which they are delivered is a splendid dose of rock, blues, and Americana. The Wheel consists of a stellar group of musicians: bassist Scot Sutherland, pianist Lewis Stephens, saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter, and drummer Rob Lee.  Keep Coming Back contains ten magnificently written and performed originals along with a ripping cover of Bob Seger’s “Out of Denver” and a funky take on CCR’s “Bootleg”.   

Stephens and Carpenter dole out tasty barrelhouse piano and rocking sax on title track “Keep Coming Back” as Zito kicks out the jams on guitar.  This one is one big ball of bluesy fun. 

I love easing into the day, listening to “Early in the Morning” on my way to work.  Zito’s raspy vocals remind me a lot of Rod Stewart's.

A true master at telling stories through this music, Zito delivers the goods with “Girl From Liberty”, which takes a closer look at the grim underbelly of dysfunctional family life.  This song sits atop my list of favorites.  Zito then digs deep inside his soul to share the destruction and aftermath resulting from his battles with addiction, in the heart wrenching “I Was Drunk”.  There’s an anxious energy surrounding “Cross the Border”, a chaotic tale of reckless abandon.  It surely leaves me hanging on the edge of my seat as the story unfolds.    

Whether he’s performing his own songs, or one of the covers, Zito keeps it real and keeps it interesting.  That’s what I love about his music.    

     

Mike Zito and the Wheel - Songs From the Road

2014 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Nov 8, 2014

Mike Zito and the Wheel played a live gig at the Dosey Doe in The Woodlands, TX to a sold-out crowd on January 10, 2014, and fortunately recorded this exciting event for our enjoyment.  Songs From the Road captures the essence of Zito, with an extraordinary set list of past favorites, some older and some newer, boasting five tracks off his most recent studio album, Gone to Texas.

The funky “Don’t Break a Leg” opens the set.  Rob Lee stands out as the fantastic drummer he is, and Jimmy Carter tears it up on sax.  Of course, it probably goes without saying; Zito’s guitar playing is amazing. I love the bands performance on “Hell on Me”. This one has an ominously groovy rhythm which is very pleasing to the ears.  Again, Zito, simply put, cooks when it comes to playing guitar.  Other tracks from Gone to Texas include “Rainbow Bridge”, “Subtraction Blues” and title track, “Gone to Texas”.

I’m so glad “Greyhound” made the cut for this album.  It’s classic rock in the same style as Jackson Brown and Bruce Springsteen. The band sounds big, with Jimmy Carpenter belting out blasts from his sax, and Lewis Stephens pounding the keys.  I’m also glad Zito’s cover of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” made the cut.  Although, the song sounds totally different than the original, this cool little song still maintains an Eighties vibe to it, in a “St Elmo’s Fire” kind of way.  It’s definitely a treat to hear.

Mike Zito and the Wheel score big with Songs From the Road.  He really is an amazing artist, and it shows on this album.        

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