The Niagara Rhythm Section
Live At The Anchorage 1.0
This 10-song disk released in early 2008 celebrates the 4th anniversary of the Niagara Rhythm Section’s “Saturday Night Musical Improv” at The Anchorage in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The core formation of the band is comprised of Steve Goldberger on bass and vocals, Dave Norris on drums, Penner MacKay on percussion, Steve Grisbrook on guitar and Herb Nelson on keys.
It begins with a tastefully mellow but funky groove, interpreting the blues classic “Early in the Morning”. John Mays of Fathead, who has now started up his own band, takes over the vocals on a rumba version of Mike Bloomfield’s “Georgia Swing”.
Since these performances are all live improvisations, the basic songs morph into jams that are deservedly substantial in duration, one being as long as 12 minutes (e.g. Tony ‘Wild T’ Springer doing Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up”), and the majority lasting around seven.
Johnny Max displays his deep, irrepressibly sexy vocals on “Looziana,” while guitarist Steve Grisbrook adds vocals to the made-for-blues Leiber/Stoller/ Pomus classic, “Youngblood,” originally recorded by The Coasters in 1957. Downchild vocalist Chuck Jackson got the crowd howlin’, too, on Chester Burnett’s “Who’s Been Talkin’,” naturally accompanying nicely on harmonica, too, on this lively, mid-tempo rumba. “Who’s Been Talkin’” blends in seamlessly with Roscoe Gordon’s “No More Doggin’.” This one’s touted as an “old-time jump blues” and features Denis Keldie on tremulous vocals and juicy keyboards and Neil Chapman on guitar.
The now sadly-departed Joe Ingrao, to whom the recording is devoted, sings and plays piano on a jazz-rock version of “Why I Sing the Blues,” with guitarist Eric Mahar standing in for “the king of the blues”. Lance Anderson particularly thrilled this listener playing B3 on “Green Onions”.
“Talk to Me” features Rob Page on keyboards and Bruce Longman on guitar and vocals. The beautiful ’50s-sounding rhythm and blues will send shivers up and down your spine, a la Willie Dixon’s “You Send Me”. You couldn’t ask for a better closer to one of the most relaxing blues recordings I’ve heard in a while.
- D.M. Wells -
Southwest Blues CD Review - April 2008
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