Rock-A-While Records artist: Kenny Parker - Hellfire - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hellfire, from Kenny Parker and it's a nice blues rocker. Opening with Chicago style, I've Got My Eye On You, Dan Devins is the lead vocalist and also covers harmonica. Kenny parker with just the right groove lay down strong blues solo phrasing, all backed by Mike Marshall on bass, Dave Marcaccio on drums, Bill Heid on piano and Jim McCarty on guitar. Cool opener. Blind And Paralyzed is strong Muddy Waters flavored track with a strong Waters style guitar riff and a lyric play on Etta James' most popular track. With a firm pace and deliberate lead guitar work by Parker, a strong contemporary blues entry. Rock n Roller, Bye Bye Baby has great feel and tasty piano work by Leonard Moon on piano.  Title track, Hellfire, has a firm, lumbering bottom and great organ work by Chris Codish. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Parker's guitar soloing shows genuine fire and inspiration. Very cool. Bluesy ballad, I'm Missing You, has a strong melody and just a dash of old style country, including the chorus of spoken lyrics. Classic. Country flavored shuffle track, Half Crazy has a great pace and Devins' harmonica work is cool and Heid's piano work is the icing on the cake. My favorite track on the release, Backup Plan, follows a great 12 bar format with Parker showing a great response to Devins' lead vocal. Getting a real chance to stretch, Parker takes full advantage and lays down some really sweaty riffs guaranteed to make you sit back and grin. Just short of an instrumental, very nice! Wrapping the release is a hard charging rocker, Hard Times with a driving beat. Parker and Devins both show a rockier and firm hand on this riff infused closer. 

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Hoochie Coochie Man - Jim McCarty & Mystery Train w/Willie D. Warren

Willie D. Warren (September 11, 1924 – December 30, 2000) was an American electric blues guitarist, bass player and singer. In a long career, he worked with Otis Rush, Al Benson, Little Sonny Cooper, David Honeyboy Edwards, Baby Boy Warren, Guitar Slim, Freddie King, Jimmy Reed, Morris Pejoe, Bobo Jenkins and Jim McCarty. One of Warren's better known recordings was "Baby Likes to Boogie".

He was described by Allmusic journalist, Michael G. Nastos, as "one of the Midwest's true blues treasures"
Warren was born in Stamps, Arkansas, but moved with his family at the age of thirteen to Lake Village, Arkansas. He was taught by Caleb King to play the guitar, and played in his own blues ensemble around the Mississippi Delta. His band's singer, Guitar Slim was, in turn, taught guitar playing techniques by Warren, and they toured around Louisiana in the latter half of the 1940s.

Warren relocated to Chicago by the early 1950s and joined Otis Rush's band. He later played alongside Freddie King and Jimmy Reed, plus he also backed Morris Pejoe, when Pejoe recorded tracks for Chess Records.

Warren formed the House Rockers back in Arkansas in 1959, and by the early 1970s had moved to Detroit to work and record with Bobo Jenkins. From 1974 to 1976 he was also a featured performer, along with Baby Boy Warren (no relation), with the Progressive Blues Band, a popular blues band that played in many of Detroit's best blues venues. When Baby Boy died in 1977, Wille D. Warren took up the band's frontman duties.

In 1977, Warren finally recorded his debut solo album, which was released on Jenkins' Big Star label. In addition, Warren turned songwriter, penning the lyrics to two songs ("Door Lock Blues" and "Detroit Jump") that Jenkins himself recorded for his own Detroit All Purpose Blues album. Warren's own work then appeared on a small number of compilation albums. His live album, Live, for the No Cover Productions label, was not released until after Warren's death. His then backing band, Mystery Train, included his old friend Jim McCarty.

Warren died in Detroit, in December 2000, at the age of 76. He left one son, Willie Hairston.

The Detroit Blues Society posthumously recognized Warren's contribution to the blues with a lifetime achievement award in 2011
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