"Bake Sale" is the fifth in a series of compilation CDs consisting of tracks from bands of the Great Northern Blues Society, in Wisconsin.  Over the years, I've always found discs like this to be interesting.  How else can you hear from anywhere between 10 - 20 "local" bands that you might not ever get a chance to hear? 

 

    On the other hand, discs like this are somewhat of a nightmare to review.  First of all, there are usually enough musicians on the disc to warrant their own area code, making it virtually impossible to list them all (as I generally like to do).  Secondly, when a disc has 20 plus tracks, as this one does, it's a bit hard to say something about all of them - possibly alienating the bands not mentioned.

 

    Having said that, I will now list all the tracks, name all the bands and say something about some of the tracks.  Of course, they will be the ones that were my personal favorites. 

 

In order of appearance, the bands and tracks on "Bake Sale" - Volume Five are:

Meantooth Grin / Intro and "Drive"

Clovis Mann / "Turpentine" and "Wade In The Water"

Aaron Williams And the Hoodoo / "Drinking Blues"

The Nitecaps / "King Swing"

Deep Water Reunion / "I Came Here To Play"

Pat McDonald / "My Troubled Mind"

Hounds Tooth / "Blues Is Truth"

The Delta Jets / "My Baby Blues"

The Playground Of Sound / "Leavin' Suzanna"

South End Blues Band / "Blues Tsunami"

Queenie & The Blues Cats / "Crossdresser's Blues"

Jerry Henry Band / "Sugar Momma"

Doug Kroening / "Walkin' Shoes"

Sue DaBaco And Wise Fools / "Crucify"

Aaron Williams And the Hoodoo / "Hypnotize"

 

    "Why Get A Chevrolet" features some humorous lyrics of which some - without getting into details - are way too relatable.  With great rhythm backup from Don Berry, Richard Smith and Marc Golde on the drums, bass and keyboards, Michael Murphy is smooth on the vocals and sharp on the guitar. 

 

    If fast paced rockin' blues - the kind you can get out on the floor and dance yourself into a frenzy with - is your bag, then you've got to hear "Drinking the Blues" by Aaron Williams And the Hoodoo.  I was shocked that this was just a trio.  Damn, Aaron Williams, Eric Shacklefold and Z tear it up on guitar, drums and bass.   

 

     Some of the discs best harp and guitar work can be heard on "Rolling Pin" by Cadillac Pete And The Heat.  The harps by Pete Rahn and the tandem guitars are by Michael and James McCarthy. This all goes on while Bill Siebert and Carl Betz are laying down a somewhat funky rhythm.

 

    "Boogie Woogie" will have you doin' just that.  It's a fast paced shuffle led by the great drum and bass work of Joey B. Banks and Kent Hamele.  Add some strong, soulful vocals from Shanna Jackson, some hot guitar leads by Misha Siegfried and intense organ interludes from Rob Walters and this ones a real smoker.  Strangely enough, these ears never did hear Charles Walker, the bandleader, listed on tenor & alto saxophones.

 

     Pete Weber & the Devilles are all locked into a solid groove on a very nicely done instrumental titled "Got My Room".  It's a virtual jam with Pete on guitar, Tony Menzer on bass, Benny Rickun on harmonica, Victor Span and Barrelhouse Chuck on piano all puttin' out their best.  Another smoker. 

 

    I "Know What I Like" and it's stuff like this.  Unrestrained piano and guitar leads, big bottom rhythm, and harmonic vocals.  And that's just how Jimmy Voegeli, Gary Hendrickson, John Wartenweiler and  Mauro Magellan delivered it.  This is one hot track. 

 

    For a copy of this disc, and possibly volumes one thru four as well, just visit the Great Northern Blues Society at www.gnbs.org.  Please, make sure you tell them Pete The Blewzzman sent ya. 

 

Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro

Blues editor @ www.Mary4Music.com