L. A. Blues Alliance

L. A. Blues Alliance - What A Life - 2007 - Baby Ree Recordings

The great BMI television composer Mike Post took a break from his busy schedule to form the L.A. Blues Alliance, a nine-piece band also featuring award-winning BMI composer W.G. Snuffy Walden and BMI songwriter Keb Mo, along with Amy Keys, Bob Glaub, David Morgan, John Robinson, Mike Finnigan, Sonny Landreth, and Stan Behrens. Post, known for his hit themes from such top television shows as The Rockford Files, and Hill Street Blues, thought it would be fun to call up a few of his friends, jam in the studio and see what would develop. The end product was this great album, "What A Life". It's a really entertaining album, with an all star cast of blues artists. Each singer brings their own unique style to the album. Keb Mo is sly and witty. Listen to his hilarious performance of “TV Mama”. Sonny Landreth brings some great vocals and fabulous slide guitar. Amy Keys adds a wonderful soulful touch, and she sings a great cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Maybe Your Baby”. Mike Finnegan displays his keyboard talents on “Death Letter”. This album has a terrific blend of styles ranging from soul to acoustic blues to to full blown rock and roll.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. What a Life, Finnigan
2. T. V. Mama ,Jackson
3. Illinois Blues, Nehemiah
4. Baby Doll Finnigan, Finnigan
5. Maybe Your Baby, Wonder
6. I Need a New Word, Morgan
7. I Walk the Line, Cash
8. Step by Step Keys, Sargeant
9. Death Letter, House
10. Like I Do Morgan, Post
11. Shop Around Gordy, Robinson
12. Who’s Been Talking, Burnett
13. It Don’t Matter, Behrens
14. Money Honey, Stone
15. Storm of Worry, Landreth

MUSICIANS

Sonny Landreth (vocals, guitar)
W.G. Snuffy Walden (guitar)
Keb' Mo' (vocals, guitar, mandolin)
Bob Glaub (bass guitar, percussion)
David Morgan (piano, electric piano, background vocals)
Mike Finnigan (piano, organ, background vocals)
Stanley Behrens (vocals, harmonica, tenor saxophone)
John "Jr" Robinson (drums, percussion)
Amy Keys (vocals, background vocals)

REVIEWS

The LA Blues Alliance is quite a cast of characters. Most of them you’ve probably heard but you didn’t know their names. Some of them are stellar all stars in the blues realm. Holding it all together is the legendary television score producer Mike Post. I bet you’re wondering how this makes a blues album. Held down with some of the best blue-eyed soul vocals and Hammond B-3 work you’ll ever hear, Mike Finnigan (The Serfs, Dave Mason, Crosby Stills & Nash, Jimi Hendrix) opens up the album with his self-penned title track full of blue-eyed soul rock of years gone by. Sonny Landreth adds some great slide work while the legendary Stanley Behrens (Canned Heat) takes up the harp chair. Covers are the spotlight of the album. “TV Mama” featuring the laid back baritone of Keb Mo hearkens to any smoke filled LA Blues Club of days gone by, again with some great punctuation from Finnigan on the organ. Amy Keys (studio & backup vocals for Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, and Joe Cocker) belts out the Stevie Wonder “Maybe Your Baby” with Behrens grabbing at you with his harp work on this track. Finnigan and Keys also provide one of the coolest covers I’ve heard in a long time with the gospel blues of Johnny Cash’s legendary “I Walk the Line.” Finnigan calms down the blue-eyed soul and gives us some old school blues on the oft-covered “Death Letter” with Keb Mo accompanying on mandolin on the all acoustic track. The other acoustic disc gives us a blues-induced version of Mo and Keys (playing the part of Momma) on Smokey Robinson’s “Shop Around.” Behrens troubling vocals on the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Who’s Been Talking” is easily forgotten by his outstanding harp work on the track. There are a few holes in this album, which is bound to happen when you get folks together who are predominantly rock and pop players, even Landreth’s playing borders on blues-rock most of the time. However, this is a feel good album with enough highlights and gems, especially in the covers that will make any blues fan proud to listen. Keys’ sultry jazz-inflected soul voice that either in the forefront or in the back ground along with Keb Mo’s rootsy acoustic slide playing help to anchor the disc in the blues. Not to be left out, Mike Finnigan’s raspy blue-eyed soul is also a pleaser to the ears and his B3 work is second to none these days. If you’re a fan of most of these folks past works, this environment with the high level of talent in the disc will surely interest you. © Ben Cox, www.IllinoisBlues.com 2007

Mike Post is best known for composing the theme songs for such hit TV shows as Law & Order, Rockford Files and Hill Street Blues. So, it may come as a surprise that another side of his musical passion is the blues! The initial disc by Post assembled L.A. Blues Alliance to record What a Life live in the studio; they did it with only a few takes, if that, allotted for each track and a democratic vibe in which each musician brought in both originals and blues favorites to the sessions. Along with production duties, Post took it upon himself to assemble a crack band that consists of guitarists W.G. Snuffy Walden , Keb' Mo' and Sonny Landreth , vocalist Amy Keys, bassist Bob Glaub, keyboardists David Morgan and Mike Finnigan, drummer John Robinson, and Stan Behrens switching between harmonica and tenor sax. Of the 15 tracks, eight are cover versions. Far too often on hastily assembled recordings of this nature, "cover versions" can be translated to mean generic or geriatric; but, upon first hearing Johnny Cash 's "I Walk the Line," reinterpreted as a gutbucket blues, it becomes clear that this is definitely not a paint-by-numbers affair. The musicians don't get hung up on one specific style of blues; they cover a lot of ground, paying homage along the way to Howlin' Wolf "Who's Been Talkin,'" Son House "Death Letter," Big Joe Turner "T.V. Mama," Skip James "Illinois Blues," Clyde McPhatter "Money Honey," Smokey Robinson "Shop Around," and Stevie Wonder "Maybe Your Baby." L.A. Blues Alliance is a rewarding musical endeavor that has the potential to go beyond a one shot dream project. © Al Campbell, All Music Guide