Bob MARGOLIN - Up & In 1997

Bob MARGOLIN - Up & In  1997

Blues

Former Muddy Waters sideman and current Blues Revue magazine columnist Bob Margolin brings his encyclopedic knowledge of blues and chops galore with him on this, his third album for Alligator. Ten of the 14 selections are penned by Margolin, with selected covers of material from Bobby Charles, Grady Jackson, Snooky Pryor and Gladys Knight and the Pips rounding out the mix. This time around Margolin stretches his musical boundaries into new directions, adding to his already wide range of blues subgenres. The title track is a solid homage to Chuck Berry, while Grady Jackson's "Coffee Break" is the kind of atmospheric, sax-driven track that would have fit perfectly on any Aladdin blues-after-hours 10-inch album. "Imagination" gets a true soul workout, as does "The Window," with its funky lead fills. His guitar tone can sometimes get positively trashy and as distorted as any old blues 78 you've ever heard, as on "Alien's Blues" and "Blues For Bartenders" while the cleaner side of his playing comes up for air on "'Bout Out," "Not What You Said Last Night," and the jazzy "Long Ago and Far Away." Margolin turns in a dead-on Muddy Waters slide guitar impression in a duet turn with former Waters piano man Pinetop Perkins on "She and the Devil" while turning in fine slide work on "Goin' Back Out on the Road" and "Why Are People Like That?" As a vocalist, Margolin is still in the passable category; he sings in tune, but seldom displays the kind of passion that earmarks the best of his guitar work. Still, this is his best solo turn to date, with solid playing from guests Kaz Kazanoff, Dave Maxwell and a host of others.
By Cub Koda.
**
Bob Margolin- Vocals, Guitars, Electric Bass
Sweet Betty- Vocal on Coffee Break
Pinetop Perkins- Piano on She And The Devil, Not What You Said Last Night and Later For You
David Maxwell- Piano on Alien's Blues, Blues For Bartenders, Up And In, 'Bout Out and Just Because; Organ on The Window
Kaz Kazanoff- Saxes and Horn Arrangements; Harmonica on Later For You
Gary Slechta- Trumpet on The Window, Up And In, 'Bout Out and Just Because
Chris Carroll- Electric Bass on The Window, Imagination and Why Are People Like That?
Tad Walters- Electric Bass on Goin' Back Out On The Road, and Not What You Said Last Night; Harmonica on Blues For Bartenders
Ron Brendle- Acoustic Bass on Long Ago And Far Away
Chuck Cotton- Drums on The Window, Alien's Blues, Imagination, Blues For Bartenders, Goin' Back Out On The Road, Up And In, 'Bout Out and Just Because
Wes Johnson- Drums on Not What You Said Last Night and Later For You
Jim Brock- Drums on Imagination, Why Are People Like That? and Long Ago
**
01. Window    2.57
02. Alien's Blues    2.28
03. Imagination    5.49
04. She And The Devil    5.07
05. Blues For Bartenders    4.52
06. Why Are People Like That    2.46
07. Goin' Back Out On The Road    3.15
08. Up And In    2.57
09. Coffee Break    5.09
10. Bout Out    2.34
11. Not What You Said Last Night    2.49
12. Long Ago And Far Away    3.26
13. Just Because    3.54
14. Later For You    4.19
**
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