Rick
Estrin and the Nightcats
Twisted
Alligator Records
|
With Little Charlie
Baty’s touring retirement from the band that bore
his name for 30 years or so, the mantle has become
front man Rick Estrin’s solely. Rick Estrin and
the Nightcats’ Alligator debut, Twisted,
is a delight on a couple of fronts. Estrin’s
unparalleled harmonica work, his sly vocalizing, and
songs infused with his well known acerbic wit, stand
out as boldly as on any previous Little Charlie &
the Nightcats effort. If anything, the harp work is
more impressive.
Add the super tight
Nightcats rhythm team of J. Hansen and Lorenzo
Farrell, drums and bass respectively, and the new
“kid” in the lineup, guitarist Kid Andersen (who
also co-produced with Estrin), and the result is
wholly impressive. Having cut his teeth with Charlie
Musselwhite, young Mr. Andersen comes to the lineup
with an impressive resume and chops to spare. Baty’s
are some mighty big guitar shoes to fill. He redeems
himself brilliantly. His allegiance to the sound
that Baty made so instantly recognizable is clear,
but he’s got a few licks and tricks of his own to
recommend him. too. This is nobody’s clone and
clearly a young guitar icon in the making.
Some Nightcats themes
are repeated, as on “Walk All Day,” reflecting “The
Booty Song (I Love to Watch You Walk Away),” from
1988’s Disturbing the Peace. There’s an
undeniable degree of formula to the Nightcats sound.
That’s OK. You know unmistakably who you’re
listening to. On ”Take It Slow,” soaked through and
through with Jimmy Reed emotion, Estrin’s virtuosic
harmonica is beautifully rendered. He’s more
impressive yet on the chordal chromatic work of
“Cool Breeze.” “A Ton of Money” as getting’ over and
getting’ respect, and “PA Slim is Back,” as homage
to a rug-cuttin’ rhythm rhymer are naturals for
blues radio.
Hansen takes a vocal
showcase in “I’m Takin’ Out My In-Laws,” a song that
has nothing to do with making reservations at the
best restaurant in town and everything to do with
digging a nice-sized hold in the back yard. The word
play on “Back from the Dead” ranks among Estrin’s
best in a long line of songs with humorous lyrics
and serious topics: “Man, I was heart broken/chain
smokin’/drinkin’ wine and takin’ dope/hit the
wall/took a fall/damn near wasn’t here at all/Hey
buddy, I ain’t jokin’/I came this close to croakin’/but
now I’m back, back from the dead.”
On “Catchin’ Hell,” a
deep blues that could have been written
anthematically for the new depression, he sings
“Good times/man they never seem to last/there were
hard times/ they’re gainin’ on me fast/I hear things
about a turnaround/But I know only time will
tell/Man, all I know right now/I’m catchin’ hell.”
Andersen’s guitar is a superb foil to Estrin’s
emotive vocals here, giving it delicate and
substantive shading.
The acoustic guitar and
harp on “Someone, Somewhere” has shades of Lightnin’
Hopkins in the mix, and the closing “Big Foot,” a
vehicle for Andersen, conjures a swingin’
rockabilly-flavored Dick Dale groove with a dab of
Danny Gatton in the stew. Whew!
One of the standout
albums of the year? Absolutely!
--- Mark Gallo