Rick Galusha's Pacific Street Blues and Americana: Rob Stone & the C Notes

Rick Galusha's Pacific St. Blues and Americana

Since inception (1989), Pacific St. Blues & Americana strives to be a discerning voice helping roots fans sift through the mountains of music released every year. We are not for everyone; we want to engage active, critical listeners that hear beyond d'jour. Interviews include: Johnny Winter, Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones), Jerry Wexler, Tommy Shannon & Chris Layton, B.B. King, Dr. John, Robin Trower, Robben Ford, Mato Nanji, Joe Bonamassa, Harry Manx, Sue Foley, Marshall Chess, Billy Lee Riley, Charlie Louvin, Kim Richey, Radney Foster, Eric Johnson, David Clayton Thomas, Al Kooper, Phil Chen (Wired, Blow By Blow), Ian McLagan, Art Neville, Southside Johnny, Miami Steve Van Zant, Nils Lofgren, Bruce Iglauer, Charlie Musselwhite, Studebaker John, Chris Duarte, Smokin' Joe Kubeck, Hamilton Loomis, Peter Karp, Roomful of Blues, James Harman, Hadden Sayers, Malford Milligan, Melvin Taylor, Otis Taylor, Dave Alvin, Coco Montoya, Jimmy Thackery, Marsha Ball, Maria Muldaur, Shelby Lynne, Magic Dick & J. Geils, Lil' Milton, BuddyGuy, Aynsley Lister, Matt Schofield, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, James Cotton, Robin & Jesse Davey, Hugh Coltman (Hoax), Sean Kelly (Samples), John Entwistle (The Who), Mark Olson (Jayhawks), Walter Wolfman Washington, Anthony Gomes, Bob Malone, Chubby Carrier, Buckwheat Zydeco, Murali Coryell, David Jacob Strain, DeAnna Bogart, Michael Lee Firkins, Guy Davis, Jason Ricci, John Doe, Little Feat, Matt Woods, MikeZito, Peter Buffett, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Corky Siegel, Todd Park Mohr, Watermelon Slim, Magic Slim, Corey Harris,- - - - - - ------------------------Radio archives: http://www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com/. Playlists: http://www.omahablues.com/ Reviews featured in http://www.blueswax.com/. Email: KIWRblues@gmail.com Live online; Sundays 9 a.m. (-6 GMT) http://www.897theriver.com/

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Rob Stone & the C Notes - album of the year?

Rob Stone & C Notes album is excellent

Friday, April 23, 2004

Artist: Rob Stone and the C Notes
Title: Just My Luck

The Chicago based Earwig label has struggled to sign an act of significance but they've signed a winner with Rob Stone and the C Notes. If you're one of those folks that immediately dismiss "white" blues artists you might as well stop reading now. Okay, now that we've gotten rid of the snobs let's talk about an excellent Modern-Acoustic-Blues album.

This band is comprised of three (white) guys that met as members in the band of former Howlin' Wolf & Paul Butterfield Blues Band drummer Sam Lay. With a background in the blues-rock genre Rob Stone is able to straddle the art of Post-War Chicago blues and a more commercial modern blues sound. So many times these stylings fall flat as imitations. Leaning heavily on Stone's ultra-smooth vocals (Harry Connick Jr.) and his in-sync harp playing the band swings hard against Sam Lay's solid drums. The late Dave Myers guests on this album.

As the blues art form continues to evolve Stone has been able to go one step further along the revivalists path cut by the likes of Sean Costello. Respectfully, I appreciate that this album lacks any whiff of Texas blues.

With only three covers this album's strength is its songwriting. The fifth song, Empty Room, is a marvelous slow burning track that defines how good this band really is. To my mind, considering past W.C. Handy award winning songs, Empty Room should be in the running as song of the year. There are plenty of other exceptional songs including; Too Late Honey, Playing Games, My Side of the Story, and Strange Blues. Track for track this is one of the finest revivalist blues albums I have ever heard and I've heard more than my share. Compared to the hooey-Blues we see and hear adnaseum, Rob Stone and the C Notes have re-sparked my admiration for non-electric blues.

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