Showing posts with label Andy Santana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andy Santana. Show all posts

Friday, July 23, 2021

Andy Santana & The West Coast Playboys - Watch Your Step!

Album: Watch Your Step!
Size: 113,1 MB
Time: 48:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Electric blues, West Coast blues
Art: Full

1. Knock Knock (2:29)
2. Watch Your Step (3:51)
3. Playgirl (3:22)
4. One Way Love Affair (3:23)
5. Love Sickness (3:52)
6. You May Not Know (3:54)
7. No Double Talk (2:59)
8. Can't You See (5:22)
9. Take Me Back (3:30)
10. Greaseland (6:48)
11. You Smell Like Cookies (3:25)
12. What's Wrong? (2:35)
13. Go On Fool (3:14)

Andy Santana is a triple threat. He is a vocalist, guitarist and harmonica player. His bands have played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, The Bay Area Music Awards, The Hollywood Hall of Fame Festival, The Santa Cruz Blues Festivals and The San Francisco Blues Festivals. Santana’s bands have backed Willie Dixon, Jimmy Rogers, Billy Boy Arnold, Carey Bell, William Clarke, Lou Ann Barton, Tommy Castro, Chris Cain, Nappy Brown and others. He has toured with Junior Watson and Angela Strehli.

Santana’s first album “Tight White Dress” was released in 1991. His follow up recording was 1998’s “Swingin’ Rockin’ Jumpin’ & Jivin’” on the Hepcat Records label. It featured him with The West Coast Playboys which at the time included Junior Watson and guest guitarists Coco Montoya and Rusty Zinn. In 2007 he released his third recording “Take Me With You”. Although not as prolific as some Santana proves his metal on this new album. Santana’s grasp of old school R ’n’ B and more specifically that music coming out of Louisiana in the 1950’s and 60’s makes this album great listening. The album was produced by Santana and Kid Anderson at Anderson’s Greaseland Studios in Campbell, Ca. Except for three tracks that were produced by Zinn.

The album opens with “Knock, Knock” credited to J. West and Carol Fran. The song was originally sung by Fran and released as a single on Excello Records in 1959. Bob Welsh is on piano; Anthony Paule on rhythm guitar, and Frankie Ramos on tenor sax. The title track “Watch Your Step” was written and released as a single by Bobby Parker in 1961. Parker is best known for this song. Highly recommended is Parker’s 1995 album “Shine Me Up” on the Bullseye Record label. Unfortunately Parker passed in November 2013. On the new version Santana sings and plays both guitar and harmonica; Nate Ginsberg plays piano while Mike Phillips plays bass. “Play Girl” was written by Dave Bartholomew and originally recorded by Smiley Lewis in the early 1950’s. Santana plays lead guitar; Welsh, piano; the rhythm section is Mike McCurdy, bass; and Robi Bean, drums. This and the next track were produced by Zinn.

“One Way Love Affair” was written and released as a single by ZZ Hill in 1964. Zinn plays rhythm guitar while Nate Ginsberg is on the Hammond B-3. “Love Sickness” was written and recorded for Stax Records by Sir Mack Rice who also authored “Mustang Sally”. Bob Welsh plays lead guitar while June Core is on drums. “You May Not Know” was a 1956 single by the little known harmony group The Hurricanes. Paule plays lead guitar. “No Double Talk” was written by Rick Estrin and Santana. Anderson plays lead guitar. This is the songs debut. Paule plays lead guitar on “Can’t You See” written by Chuck Willis. Welsh is on piano; and Lorenzo Farrell on the B-3. “Take Me Back” was a 1960 single for Al Brown and His Tunetoppers on Amy Records. This is the third song produced by Zinn who plays rhythm guitar.

Santana contributes three originals. The first is a seven minute instrumental he calls “Greaseland”. Welsh plays lead guitar on the intro and first break; Santana plays lead on the second break; on the third break the lead is by Paule; Anderson picks up the lead on the 4th break and Mighty Mike Schermer plays lead on the 5th. “You Smell Like Cookies” is just a whole lotta fun. Paule is on lead, Anderson, rhythm; Welsh, piano, McCurdy, bass; and Bean, drums. “What’s Wrong” features Paule, rhythm; Anderson, baritone guitar; Farrell, B-3; Phillips, bass; and Core, drums. This R ’n’ B revivalist closes with “Go On Fool” written by Bartholomew and first recorded by Smiley Lewis in 1957. It was later recorded by Ruth Brown. Anderson is featured on the baritone guitar; Welsh, piano and Core on drums. These songs are infectiously performed by Santana whose knowledge and grasp of this genre make for a terrific recording. This is highly recommended. /Richard Ludmerer

(For further personnel details, see artwork included.)

Watch Your Step! mc
Watch Your Step! gofile

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Soul Drivers - Tight White Dress

Size: 128,8 MB
Time: 56:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. Good Good Lovin' (5:12)
02. Tight White Dress (4:08)
03. Give Us A Try (5:09)
04. Moanin' For Marcella (4:19)
05. Change It (5:00)
06. Hoo Doo Man Blues (5:25)
07. Short Haired Cuties (4:39)
08. Please Don't Leave Me (4:09)
09. Rock & Roll Chick (4:18)
10. Bone Marrow (Mean Old World) (5:05)
11. Don't Keep Me Waiting (4:55)
12. Strollin' With Bones (3:49)

Soul Drivers:
Andy Santana - harmonica and vocals
Mike Schermer - guitar and vocals
Mark Carino - bass
June Core - drums

For more info see artwork included.

Tight White Dress

Friday, January 24, 2014

Andy Santana - Take Me With You

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:18
Size: 122.0 MB
Styles: Electric blues, Soul
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Take Me With You
[3:58] 2. Give A Dog A Bone
[4:23] 3. Let Yourself Go
[2:35] 4. Bay Come To Papa
[4:13] 5. So Many Ways
[3:40] 6. No Naggin' No Draggin'
[3:45] 7. Hey Let's Party
[6:33] 8. Ballad Of A Thin Man
[3:13] 9. I Believe I'll Give It Up
[4:43] 10. Soul Shadows
[4:55] 11. Hot Spot
[3:44] 12. You're The One
[3:30] 13. Can't Stop Thinking Of You

Andy Santana has been a fixture on the California blues/R&B scene for almost 30 years. From his early work with the SOUL DRIVERS to his collaborations with the WEST COAST PLAYBOYS, he has always maintained a strong sense of what is right for a song. Andy brings a natural vocal sound along with excellent harp and guitar playing to his latest effort that covers the spectrum from hard core blues to straight up soul. This CD is just plain F-U-N to listen to.

Take Me With You

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Andy Santana & The West Coast Playboys - Swingin' Rockin' Jumpin' & Jivin' (With Junior Watson)

Size: 142,2 MB
Time: 61:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Jump Blues
Art: Front & Back

01. Meet Me Baby (3:21)
02. Jr.'s Bounce (3:59)
03. One Bad Stud (4:02)
04. Goodbye Solong (3:17)
05. Take Your Hands Out Of My Pockets (3:15)
06. Straighten Up Baby (2:05)
07. Good Lover (4:19)
08. Rock This Morning (2:51)
09. Meet Me Baby With Your Black Dress On (5:18)
10. Voodoo Voodoo (2:50)
11. Mad About It (3:55)
12. I'm Gonna Leave You (4:21)
13. Out Of My Mind (3:35)
14. A Love Like Yours (Bonus Track) (4:40)
15. Take A Chance (Bonus Track) (5:08)
16. Walking Out On You (Bonus Track) (4:19)

Andy Santana and his West Coast Playboys, well, they got their name right. Playful, hard-socking blues and jive in the traditions of Big Joe Turner, Gatemouth Brown, T-Bone Walker and everyone else who's got a little glide in his or her stride. Rumbling guitarist and leader Santana has been a torchbearer for "West Coast Swing" — the loose-limbed dancing blues distilled by players West of the Pecos — on California's Central Coast for several years. His hollow-body guitar rumbles, bumps and bops over strong and simple accompaniment on Swingin' Rockin' Jumpin' & Jivin' (West Coast Playboys). The Playboys also have some heavy friends: Guesting on this stellar CD are drummer June Core (Little Charlie & the Nightcats), pianist Steve Lucky, plus guitarists Coco Montoya and Rusty Zinn. The newest Playboy is guitarist Junior Watson, the former Mighty Flyer and a masterful yet deeply twisted soloist. If you've never found a way to hum the Davy Crockett TV theme show in a bluesy way, you need to hear "Jr.'s Bounce," one of several band originals mixed with a fine grab bag of unheralded blues chestnuts. Outstanding.

Thanks to Marc.
Swingin' Rockin' Jumpin' & Jivin'