Live At Miss Ann's Playpen
Richard Bush | Brenham, Texas United States | 02/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sonny Boy Terry wastes no time proving his blues harp skills on the opening cut from his Live At Miss Ann's Playpen disc. He hits octave notes and full, fat, juicy chords that'll leave harp players drooling. He sets the rhythm that carries the tune as he bounces off the solid bottom that bassman Benny Brasket and drummer Samantha Banks provide on this original good-time ode to this venerable Houston venue. Clever lyrical wit is also on display within the song, in the same vein as Willie Dixon's "Wang Dang Doodle".This tune sets the stage, also, for what Little Ray Ybarra does--play the best darned blues notes that a guitarist can possibly dream up. It takes a special breed of guitar player to augment a blues harp driven band properly and Little Ray is equal to the best. With his sense of rhythm and timing, he'd make a mediocre harp player shine and he helps make Sonny Boy exceptional. "Let's All Go To Miss Ann's Playpen" simply jump starts the thought process that says, "Yeah, man, this is how it's supposed to be played". Oh, and wait until you hear him mix and match licks with special guest guitarist (who's equally talented) Jeffrey P. Ross on the original "Holman and Dowling" (a nod to the old neighborhood) and George Smith's "Tight Dress". Yummy, indeed.The aforementioned "Holman and Dowling", Silas Hogan's battle with "Rats and Roaches" and the original "I'll Be Your Fool" are indicative of what kind of tone Sonny Boy can pull out of single notes. The former is a full blown (pun intended) instrumental that sums up his job definition. Sonny Boy chooses notes and works them for their full emotional impact instead of displaying a lick-a-second style of noodling. One would be hard pressed to find more emotion coming out of the instrument than on this tune and especially on the intros to the latter two songs mentioned. Low down, greasy, and funky blues. Which, by the way, sums up the entire disc--one that should propel Sonny Boy Terry to prominence way beyond the Texas Gulf Coast."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1