I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Things I Used To Do, from Chick Willis and it's solid gold blues. Recorded in August of 1997, this release is a long time coming. Opening with shuffle, Lou's Place, Chick Willis is upfront standing tall on lead vocal and guitar. This is super blues from some of the best days with Tony Ashton on piano, Roger Innis on bass and Sticky Wicket on drums. Excellent opener. Slow blues, Come Back Home, is a strong entry for top track on the release with some of Willis' best vocals and a cool guitar exchange with Ashton's Hammond. Very nice. Remake of Guitar Slims' The Things I Used To Do has a real nice feel with stinging riffs and soulful vocals. R&B track, What You Got On Me, has great rhythmic feel and tight guitar riffs supporting the solid vocals of Willis. Another of my favorite tracks on the release is One Eyed Woman. Tension between Willis' vocals and Ashton's organ are great and Willis' guitar articulation is spot on. Excellent! Willis' Tin Pan Alley has excellent guitar flair and Willis' vocal performance is great! Lavelle White's up tempo, Voodoo Woman, has a great rhythm and Willis really plays his guitar hand nicely. He really gets it moving on this one with solid bass lines by Innis and his own slashing guitar soloing. Wrapping the release is a relaxed, Doin' The Yang thing featuring Ashton taking the lead with a full boat piano melody over a basic rhythm by Innis and Wicket. Solid closer for a fun release.
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