Bacon Fat

Bacon Fat - Tough Dude - 1971 - Blue Horizon

Rod Piazza is a blues harmonica icon who was part of the same musical generation as Paul Butterfield which is to say the first generation of white blues fans and players who in the early 1960s were embracing the driving urban blues sounds of post-war Chicago, Memphis, Texas and California. While still in his teens at the time, he was seeking out many of the blues greats who were still active and vital on Los Angeles’s fabled Central Avenue blues scene. By 1967 Rod was a bona fide blues recording artist with an album on a major label, ABC/Bluesway, with his own group The Dirty Blues Band. After a second well-received and now highly prized LP the following year Piazza took a bold step and formed the LA blues/rock band, Bacon Fat. This was unique at the time, in that it was led by two harp players, Piazza and his mentor George “Harmonica” Smith. Bacon Fat made an immediate impact particularly in England where they soon signed with legendary record producer Mike Vernon’s Blue Horizon label. This is the band's second album and is pure "killer" blues rock. It's a "no messin'" example of good early seventies blues rock, and is especially recommended to anybody who would like to hear one of the west-coasts greatest harmonica players, Rod "Gingerman" Piazza. After Bacon Fat disbanded Rod continued to work with Smith and other artists such as Pee Wee Crayton, Big Joe Turner and Big Mama Thornton on both live performances and recording projects. Check out the great "Ground Hog Blues" album by Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers.

TRACKS

1. Wait On It
2. Down The Road
3. Betty
4. Leaving On Your Mind
5. Jivin' The Business
6. Shake Dancer
7. Travelling South
8. Evil
9. Blues Feeling
10. Pool Hall Sam
11. Transatlantic Blues
12. Hurricane

BAND

Rod "Gingerman" Piazza - Harmonica, Vocals
Buddy Reed - Guitar, Vocals
Gregg Schaefer - Guitar
J.D. Nicholson - Vocals, Piano
Jerry Smith - Bass
Dick Innes, Jr - Drums
George "Harmonica" Smith - Vocals, Harmonica