Little Charlie amp The Nightcats - Shadow of the Blues (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Blues done up right!

oklahomabluesman | Lawton, OK USA | 06/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have and like all of Little Charlie's recordings that I could find. This one is for sure my favorite. Charlie is never at a loss for places to go on the guitar neck. He weaves many styles together and does it well.He has a great sound for this type of music.Rick Estrin is a great blues singer and maybe a better harmonica player. The lyrics are always clever and usually tongue and cheek. "She pulled the rug off the floor, all the furniture's gone", from "When Your Women is Gone",is just an example of the clever way they tell the blues standard story of having your women leave you."Big and Fat" and "Dirty Dealin' Mama" are just two of my other favorites. Although, I think all the tunes here will please. Now if we could just get them to do a show in Oklahoma!"

LITTLE CHARLIE PLAYS ONE BIG GUITAR

Thomas D. Christianson | Ashland, WI United States | 07/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Little Charlie Baty just doesn't seem to get the credit he has earned for his guitar playing skills. Often overshadowed by Rick Estrin's fine song writing, vocals, and master harmonica playing, he comes out strong and smokin' on this one, answering any questions about his right to be called one of the all time masters of his trade. Of course Estrin is wonderful,as always, with great lyrics, smooth delivery of the vocals, and outstanding harmonica playing. He even plays a bit of guitar himself on this one. These guys never release a bad c.d., and this one may well be their best to date. Great jump blues, Chicago blues,and roots rock. Every new release is a new party in the making.

Thanks, and enjoy.

Tom"

They Never Disappoint

Chris Winter | Littleton, Colorado United States | 06/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A fantastic release from the modern masters of jump blues! I, like the other reviewers, am quite pleased with this CD. I agree with everything else that has been written about it, but I would like to mention a couple of high points for me. My two favorite tunes are New Old Lady, and Big And Fat. Is it just me, or is Big And Fat a tribute to Muddy's "I'm Ready"? Who knows? I love the lyrics on New Old Lady: "I got a new old lady, so doggone good to me....makes my old, old lady nothin' but ancient history." Also, on Big And Fat, at the end when it is starting to fade out, Rick says "wall to wall". That is just so cool! I love these guys. If Little Charlie or Rick Estrin or Ronnie or June, ever read this: Thanks for all the great music you have given the world. My life is better because of what you are doing!"

If ya can't make their live show get Shadow of the Blues

Chris Winter | 05/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is more than my babe left me, my babe is back there is Bluesology on Shadow of the Blues. And how bout some Harp, Blues Harp that is. Rick Estrin has listen to some Blues Masters but he owns his own style & tone. Check out New Old Lady. This CD has other pluses like Charlie Baty's Guitar work (pleasure for us). There also some Keyboard work of Jimmy Pugh. Drums and Maracas you know you like to shake your Maracas right so they have June Core. Ronnie James Weber keeping everyone together with the Bass. Hey this CD has been a Blue Lite Special on my show Blue Wave Radio what does that mean to you. Well every cut is good the way a real Blue's CD should be. For Blues in the East Bay CA check KECG 88.1 / 97.7 Blue Wave Radio Saturday morning 7 to 9 AM when it is really Blue out. Also Single's Cafe on KECG on Sundays from 5 to 6 PM. G Hanes. ps threat your self to a live show of Little Charlie and The Nightcats especially in a Blues Club where they can get personal. I'm sure you will be glade that you did. over"

One of their best

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 11/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 1998 album is one of the Nightcats' best and most "serious"...the novelty items are kept to a bare minimum, and the addition on certain tracks of Jimmy Pugh on piano and organ makes for a very authentic blues sound.

The first three songs are also the best. "Never Trust A Woman" is a slinky slow blues, "When Your Woman Is Gone" a 60s-like shuffle which might have been penned by John Mayall or Paul Butterfield, and "New Old Lady" is simply one of the band's best-ever songs, a swinging mid-tempo blues brimming with hooks.

But there are other highlights as well, like the slow minor-key "Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues" and the mid-tempo "Big And Fat", and Rick Estrin provides some excellent chromatic harp on several songs, "You Got To Rock", "New Old Lady" and "Shadow" in particular. The walking boogie of "I Don't Drink Much" is predictable but really well executed, as is Charlie Baty's aptly-titled instrumental "Percolatin'".

Not everything is top-notch, sure, but there is enough of the really good stuff here to make "Shadow Of The Blues" a better record and a better introduction to the Nightcats than their 1997 compilation "Deluxe Edition" which portrays them as more of a novelty act. They are in fact a very talented working band, and this is perhaps their best-ever offering."

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