Rod Piazza
Modern Masters-The Very Best of Rod Piazza 1968-2003
(Tone-Cool 751 161-2)
Rod Piazza is well known to blues fans as
one of the foremost blues harmonica players on the scene today. As the leader of the
Mighty Flyers, Rod and his band are one of the most popular draws on the club and festival
circuit and a major part of what has been described as the West Coast blues sound. Modern
Master is an overview of Rod's career and covers a time period of 35 years and numerous
record labels.
The record begins with a cover of Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" released in 1968
and features a sound similar to some of the British Invasion bands of the early '60s.
Rod's style began to really take shape in the late '60s when he formed a two harp band
with George "Harmonica" Smith called Bacon Fat. Two cuts from this band appear
on the compilation. Rod also makes an appearance on Smith's cover of Sonny Boy
Williamson's "Help Me" released in 1973.
Also in 1973, Rod released his first solo album called Rod Piazza Bluesman. A track
from that album, Little Walter's "I Got To Go" is included here. Rod then formed
the Chicago Flying Saucer Band which would eventually morph into the Mighty Flyers. This
band featured Junior Watson on guitar, Miss Honey on keyboards, Bill Stuve on bass and
Willie Swartz on drums. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1979 and is my
favorite of all Piazza's recordings. Two tracks from that disc are included here.
In 1981 and 1985, the band now christened the Mighty Flyers released Radioactive
Material and File Under Rock respectively, which included several weak attempts to go in a
more contemporary direction. During the '80s, Piazza found time to work with several of
his mentors on a series of albums for the Murray Brothers label. Three songs from albums
by Shakey Jake, Jimmy Rogers and Pee Wee Crayton are represented here.
Disc two opens up with some selections from Piazza's excellent Harpburn release as well
as some numbers from the 1986 Murray Brothers release So Glad To Have The Blues.
Presumably due to licensing problems none of Piazza's Blacktop recordings are represented
on the compilation. The disc also features several live cuts of the band in action, most
notably the previously unreleased covers of Amos Milburn's "Chicken Shack
Boogie" and Little Walter's "Blue Midnight". The remainder of the disc is
comprised of Piazza's recent Tone-Cool efforts. Overall this is a really fine overview of
Piazza's career and is highly recommended for fans of blues harp.
- Barry Gober -
Southwest Blues CD Review - January 2004
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