Bobby Radcliff Natural Ball Rollo Records

I absolutely loved all of Bobby Radcliff’s Black Top releases during the ’90s. His energy and passion as a guitarist and singer is hard to match. Black Top was my favorite label back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and I was crushed when they ceased operations in the late ’90s because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to hear new releases from the label’s fantastic roster. Thankfully, many of the artists were able to hook up with other labels, but I lost track of Radcliff (though I did connect with him on Facebook, thanks to Ilana Katz Katz a few years back).

I found out that he had surgery on his hand in the late ’90s, which curtailed his career for a while, but he recovered and has been able to release several albums since then, including 2004’s Natural Ball (Rollo Records), which I was finally able to track down recently. Recorded “live in the studio” at The Little Shack in Rocky Point, New York (Executive Producer Bill Bowman said “I’ve got bathrooms bigger than this studio.”), Natural Ball features Radcliff backed by bass player Chris Matheos and drummer Keith Hurrell for this 14-song set. It’s a rawer, grittier set than his Black Top efforts, but the close quarters provide an intimate sound, capturing the big sound of the trio.

Radcliff shows no ill effects from his surgery and forced layoff, really tearing into these five originals and nine covers, beginning with a breakneck version of T-Bone Walker’s title track. Things slow down for a splendid cover of Jimmy Dawkins’ “Hard Road To Travel,” which features a solid vocal from Radcliff with some “fast-fingered” fretwork. Albert Collins’ Latin-flavored instrumental “Icy Blue” gets a rapid-paced update, followed by a simmering, funky take on Bobby Rush’s “Chicken Heads.” Next up is another instrumental, the ’60s soul hit “The Horse,” a jaw-dropping guitar showcase.

Radcliff’s guitar hero was Magic Sam and the two became friends, with Sam serving as a mentor of sorts to the young guitarist before his untimely passing. Radcliff learned his lessons well as evidenced on his blazing cover of Sam’s “Feel So Good,” sounding as good and intense as the original. I really like his dynamite reworking of Jimmy Rogers’ “You Left Me With A Broken Heart,” taken at the same mid-tempo, but with plenty of guitar fireworks mixed in. Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “A Real Mother For You” gets a energetic, unedited reading (leading to the parental advisory label affixed to the back cover).

A trio of originals follow: “Down Stroke,” a brief jazzy instrumental, the intense slow blues “Lover Death Zone,” and “Dog House,” a hard-charging tribute to the hard-charging Hound Dog Taylor. Radcliff’s cover of Muddy Waters’ “Catfish Blues” is superb, as he gives it his own highly personal spin and makes it sound like a brand new tune.

The album closes with another pair of originals. The ballad “Finally Found Myself” has a bit of a Caribbean flair that works well, and the closer, “Sourpuss,” is another brisk instrumental, reminding me a bit of Albert King’s muscular guitar attack.

Since Natural Ball, Radcliff has released a couple of additional albums in 2011’s Freaking Me Out and 2016’s Absolute Hell. I’ve not had the opportunity to hear those, but if they’re as good as Natural Ball, I will have to track them down. If you missed Natural Ball the first time around, and apparently a lot of folks did, it’s definitely worth a listen if you are a Bobby Radcliff fan.

--- Graham Clarke