Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:31
Size: 115.7 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2001
Art: Front
[2:32] 1. 2 To 4
[5:05] 2. Jockey Full Of Bourbon
[5:51] 3. Time Was (The Norfolk Southern Song)
[3:35] 4. About Time For A Love Song
[3:02] 5. Vet Bill Blues
[5:55] 6. Tumblin Down
[5:46] 7. Crabcake Sammich
[3:34] 8. Picked The Wrong Day
[2:47] 9. The 'where Ya Been' Look
[4:35] 10. One More Last Trip Down
[5:34] 11. A Different Kind Of Blues
[2:10] 12. 2 To 4 (Reprise)
Some bands have it all; an imposing front man who happens to be a first-class axe-man with an ability to write compelling, captivating material and a soulful, versatile voice to get the message across; a bass player that is tasteful, in the pocket, and capable of backing vocals that perfectly color the voice of the front man; and last, but certainly not least, probably one of the best all around drummers working in the area right now. On the heels of their astounding "The Blues You Can¹t Refuse", Eric "Fat Vinny" Kelly, Randy Ketner and Mark Panek have bestowed upon us another great collection. The thing about this band is that the blues is a touchstone and baseline from which they ably explore other genres and musical styles. In addition to outstanding blues on charts like "2 to 4" The "Where You Been Look" and "One More Last Trip Down" there is the latin-tinged cover of Tom Waits's "Jockey Full of Bourbon" "Crabcake Sammich" and "Different Kind of Blues" all powered by Panek's great percussion work, the Rolling Stone flavored "Tumbling Down" and the fantastic, soulful "Time Was The Norfolk Southern Song". This CD stands for the proposition that . . .Can't Refuse wasn't a fluke and these guys, two years into their existence as a band, are a first-class outfit at the top of their game. Get the entire catalog (including this one) and see the Wiseguys live if you can. From the studio to the stage this band delivers. ~Alex Greenberg
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Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:59
Size: 151.1 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front
[3:08] 1. Bad Men On The Run
[7:19] 2. Just Some Things
[4:09] 3. My Girl Or My Guitar
[3:23] 4. Barroom Floor
[6:06] 5. 5th Street
[3:27] 6. Feet Up On The Dashboard
[3:48] 7. Lucky Charm
[3:26] 8. I'm Outdoors
[4:43] 9. Dark Places
[4:00] 10. 10 Bar Blues
[4:19] 11. The Jack
[5:05] 12. Thinking About You
[4:40] 13. Shuffle Up & Deal
[2:37] 14. Dark Places (Reprise)
[5:42] 15. 5th Street (Demo)
This is the band's 3rd CD, the first with New Drummer Jeff Van Clief. We are very proud of it. Here's what the critics say: FAT VINNY & THE WISEGUYS - TIGHT PLAY (no label) On their third studio album, Tight Play, Altoona-based blues trio Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys continue their exploration of blues-rooted sounds, this time loosely centered around the metaphorical theme of card games and poker. Singer/guitarist E. Vincent "Fat Vinny" Kelly, bassist Randy Ketner and drummer "Dutch" Jeff Van Clief again use blues as their launching pad to explore different styles and sounds over the album's thirteen card-faced tracks (plus two bonus tracks; 'jokers,' as described in the liner notes). These various blues-based explorations serve as the foundation for colorful lyrical storylines dealing with the poker game of life, wheeling and dealing with the opposite sex, bars, the road and more. The album starts off with the surf-flavored "Bad Men On The Run," highlighted by guest Denny Owens' wailing harmonica accompaniment. The following song, "Just Some Things," demonstrates a Chicago-like brassy flavor, courtesy of guest keyboardist/arranger Don Hughes and guest Tim Boland's sparking midsong keyboard work to boot. The slow and lowdown "My Girl Or My Guitar" explores the tough choice between love and art. Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys' apparent home turf remains boisterous blues-rock, demonstrated by the ZZ Top-flavored stomps "Barroom Floor" and "Feet Up on the Dashboard," the Stevie Ray Vaughan-informed "Lucky Charm," and the George Thorogood flavor of the comical "I'm Outdoors." The group cleverly uses poker metaphor on the Van Morrison-flavored ballad "5th Street," defining the moment where dream and vision convert to action and destiny. The group celebrates poker outright on the raucous and rowdy "Shuffle Up and Deal," and for card-faced track 'J,' strips AC/DC's "The Jack" (long a favorite of the group's live show) back to its blues roots. The album's only dark moment is the somber "Dark Places," inspired by a friend's sad-ending struggle with life's hard challenges. Produced by Kelly and Dave Moses, Tight Play sounds loose and playful, capturing the Wiseguys' spontaneity and live feel. The performances are sparkling yet at ease; Kelly's varied guitar displays shine throughout the disc, and Van Clief's drumming is busy but never overpowering. The guest musicians' contributions spice and brighten the sound further throughout the album. Tight Play is the brightest and strongest album from Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys yet; an album that shows this trio's flexibility and versatility, combined with a playful, lighthearted spirit. This band sounds like they had a blast making this album, and listeners should have a comparable good time listening to it. In my book, one of the best albums to emerge from the regional music scene this year - I recommend! ~Jim Price
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