Wentus Blues Band feat. Phil Guy

Wentus Blues Band feat. Phil Guy - The Last of The Big Time Spenders - 2005 - Wentus

"THESE GUYS PLAY THE KIND OF RHYTHM & BLUES THAT WOULD MAKE AMERICA PROUD"- KIM WILSON (The Fabulous Thunderbirds)

When the late, legendary Chicago bluesman Phil Guy came to Finland to tour, he recorded this album with The Wentus Blues Band on November 2nd, 2002 at Cantina West, Helsinki. The songs are all played in a good Chicago blues style. At times Phil Guy's voice sounds weak, but this is a minor quibble. The guitar and harmonica work is great, and overall the album is a good example of the late bluesman's great guitar style. The Ventus Blues Band are a very experienced blues band and back Phil with great energy, dynamics, and top notch musicianship. Try and listen to The Wentus Blues Band's "Agriculture" album, and Phil Guy's great "Bad Luck Boy" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Help Me - Ralph Bass, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson
2. Oh, Darling - Unknown
3.Texas Flood - Larry Davis
4.Killing Floor - Howlin' Wolf
5.Don't Even Know My Name - Unknown
6.Good Time Charlie - Bobby "Blue" Bland
7. Five Long Years - Eddie Boyd
8. Can´t Stand It ( When You Touch Me ) - Eddie Boyd

MUSICIANS

Phil Guy - Guitar, Vocals
Niko Riipa - Guitar
Robban Hagnas - Bass, Backing Vocals
Mikael Axelqvist - Drums
Pepe Ahlqvist - Harmonica, Vocals

PHIL GUY BIO

Phil Guy didn't eclipse his older brother Buddy's status as a blues superstar, and in reality, Phil's funky brand of blues was not captured correctly for posterity. But he remained an active attraction on the Chicago circuit, following in his sibling's footsteps and patiently waiting for his own star to rise up until his death. Like his sibling, Phil Guy played with harpist Raful Neal (for a decade) before leaving the Baton Rouge scene for Chicago in 1969. There he played with his brother's high-energy organization as well as behind harpist Junior Wells (Phil handled guitar duties with Sammy Lawhorn on Wells' underrated mid-'70s Delmark album On Tap). Phil Guy cut albums of his own for JSP; they were generally lacking in originality if not spirit. Phil Guy lost his battle with liver and kidney cancer in August of 2008. © Bill Dahl © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kzfixq95ldje~T1

ABOUT THE WENTUS BLUES BAND

While most people associate the blues with the steamy bayous of Louisiana and the cotton fields of Mississippi, lovers of the devil´s music may be surprised to hear that there is also a thriving scene in Scandinavia.At the heart of this Nordic blues explosion are the WENTUS BLUES BAND, who hail from Kokkola in central Finland. And while the pinestudded wilderness of their homeland is about as far as you can get from the jukejoints of the Deep South, there´s no doubting their musical credentials. Established in 1986, the band have acquired a reputation as the hardest working in Scandinavia and play around 150 gigs a year. The Wentus Blues Band has toured in 15 different countries, released 7 albums, done several TV-shows, headlined festivals and toured with many great bluesmen. Expect explosive blues and frantic rhythm and blues, played with laid back stylishness. At the 2008 edition of the NXNE, Wentus Blues Band was in Toronto not only for a couple of gigs but also for the North American debut of Family Meeting, a documentary about the band’s 20th anniversary concert. Family meeting mixes concert footage with candid backstage moments and commentary from fellow musicians. It was nominated for the Finnish national film award, the JUSSI, in the feature documentary category and is doing the rounds at film festivals in Scandinavia gathering speed, followed by plenty of great reviews. The title is about the special bond developed over the years with Wentus Blues Band and musicians they have played with. It is like the Thanksgiving dinner where everything is possible, especially when the guest list includes legends like ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, Kim Wilson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Omar Dykes of Omar & The Howlers, Eric Bibb, Louisiana Red, Eddie Kirkland to mention a few. On the topic of name dropping, these guys are the Wentus Blues Band: Juho Kinaret; voc, Niko Riippa; gt, Kim Wikman; gt, Robban Hagnäs; b, Mikael Axelqvist; dr, Pekka Gröhn; piano, Hammond. From the potatofields of Kokkola to the cottonfields of Mississippi, blues rules!-The new Agriculture CD shows again that the Wentus Blues Band deserves greater attention © Tom Hyslop, Blues Revue [ from http://www.wentusbluesband.com/Biography.html ]