The Bellhops - No Reservations

Album: No Reservations
Size: 134,3 MB
Time: 57:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Blues/Jump Blues/R&B
Art: Full

1. Boogie In The Barnyard (2:51)
2. Hard For Me (4:06)
3. Have I Got The Blues For You (4:25)
4. RM Blues (4:04)
5. Bellhop Boogie (3:59)
6. Taking My Business Elsewhere (4:55)
7. Judgement Day (3:30)
8. Crazy Feet (3:47)
9. Rise & Shine (4:26)
10. Trouble Alone (5:38)
11. Lord Lord (3:34)
12. Curiosity (3:24)
13. The Sheik (Of Bondi Beach) (3:16)
14. Walkin' The Dog (5:43)

The Bellhops are Australia's Premier Award Winning Blues, Jump 'n' Jive and Swing exponents and the 2003 Australian Blues Awards (The Chain Awards) Band of Year. Their latest release No Reservations was voted 2003 Australian Blues Album of the Year while their debut release Room Service was 1999 Runner Up for Blues Album of Year.

The Bellhops lineup is big and brassy, featuring their very own Horn Mafia - the Brassholes. The Bellhops are also blessed with the virtuoso guitar skills of John Russell whose slide guitar and comping work is among the best in Australia. The talents of vocalist Ian Dittman and rhythm section of Steve Lovarini and Mark Roulston add to the wealth of riches in this superb outfit. Add to this to the substantial songwriting abilities of Dittman & Russell and you have a formidable combination of the 'must see' variety.

The main musical influences of The Bellhops is the swing and jive era of the late 40's, the rock 'n' roll of the 50's, the soul and R&B of the 60's and the blues music legacy of so many great artists. The Bellhops pay tribute to these influences in their recorded work and also in their live performances with material drawn from artists such as Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and James Brown.

The Bellhops can be found regularly playing around the Greater Sydney Region, Wollongong and the Illawarra Region, Newcastle and the Central Coast Lakes Region, Goulburn and the Southern Highlands Region. They have even been spotted as far south as Victoria, (especially those Ski Field gigs) and as far north as Byron Bay (especially those resort gigs), as far west as Wagga Wagga or Mudgee (especially those Winery gigs).

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

No Reservations mc
No Reservations gofile

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The Bellhops - Room Service

Album: Room Service
Size: 128,7 MB
Time: 55:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Blues, jump blues, swing
Art: Front

1. I'm Ready (4:07)
2. CC Rider (5:05)
3. Red Eyes (4:17)
4. Doin' It Right (3:33)
5. Down On The Avenue (4:06)
6. Personal Manager (6:24)
7. Got My Mojo Working (3:47)
8. Shake Dem Bones (4:31)
9. Criminal Of Love (5:32)
10. I Don't Boogie On Sunday (3:47)
11. Sick And Tired (2:59)
12. I Got Saved (6:12)
13. Ellen B (Bonus) (1:11)

From the first few bars of this CD you know The Bellhops have a winner. Big band blues with power and class. Good confident vocals, strong instrumental skills and genre-stretching arrangements are also what you get. The production from A#Sharp Studios’ Jeff Cripps is noteworthy for clarity and presence. Having seen these guys live I know they can replicate the recording with audience pleasing performances. The covers have been done too many times before. Nonetheless The Bellhops make mouldy song like “I’m Ready”, “C.C.Rider”, Personal Manager” and “Got My Mojo Working” come alive with their enthusiasm and arranging skills.

Muddy Waters’ “I’m Ready” has gone from malevolent Chicago Blues to big band romp, with solos from saxman Steve O’Connell, guess pianist Don Hopkins and slide guitarist John Russell (who wrote most of the originals). Likewise “C.C.Rider” romps along, fuelled by slide guitar and Steve Trew’s amplified harp solos. “Personal Manager” sticks closely to Albert King’s original version with sax, slide and harp solo. “Mojo” is some-how brought to life as a funk workout.

The original numbers shine and sound like instant classics. “Red Eyes” is a stop-time big band singalong with a harp and brass break. This and other swing and Jazz based tracks would not be possible without the wonderful bass of Mark Roulston and the sharp drumming of Steve Lovarini. Most Vocals are taken by rhythm guitarist Ian Dittman. He takes the lead on “Down On The Avenue”, a swinging number where the whole band chime in on the faster choruses. Ian also sings “Shake Dem Bones”, which sounds like a Louis Jordan number gone swampy. His best vocals are on the slow blues “Criminal of Love” – one of those tracks where the audience collectively close eye sand sway. It features a brilliant but brief sax solo.

“I Don’t Boogie On Sunday” could have been written by Moon Mullican; it has that swinging rockabilly feel. Steve Trew handles the raunchier vocals and comes across a little like Kim Wilson. In fact his number could be the lost Fabulous Thunderbirds takes with brass added. Steve sings “I Got Saved” with real venom. It’s a song with a twist - when his women left him he was “saved from a life without alcohol or cigarettes”. This is great album. Blues top party to. Even the liner notes are worth talking about. They are written in poorly translated mock Eastern European and Decorated in lounge music manner. And leave this disc in the player if you want to hear a bonus snippet of traditional slide. /Greg Crooks

Room Service mc
Room Service gofile

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