I've always been a big fan of high energy blues bands featuring a powerful female lead singer.  And now that I've heard "BIG CITY BLUES", by BECKI SUE & HER BIG ROCKIN' DADDIES, I've just become one of their newest fans.

 

    Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, THE BIG ROCKIN' DADDIES consist of: BECKI SUE on vocals;

"T-BOY" TOM BOYLE on guitar; JIM KING on harp, sax and vocals; JEFF HAYES on drums; and "WILDCHILD" LES WHITE on upright bass.  Special guests on "BIG CITY BLUES" include: CANDYE KANE, MITCH WOODS, ERIC "TWO SCOOPS" MOORE", PETER DAMMANN, and "THE DEACON" RON WEINSTEIN.

 

    The disc opens with "YOU'RE KILLIN' ME".  It's one of several band originals and one that will clearly validate the band having the word "ROCKIN" in their name.  This one quickly starts off with flames coming out of JIM'S sax and progressively heats up from there.  BECKI'S steaming vocals, TOM'S smoking guitar, LES and JEFF igniting the rhythm and RON fanning the flames on the B3 make this furious jam a six alarmer.

 

    "THE SUN IS SHINING" is nearly seven minutes of slow, scorching blues - just the way I like it.  BECKI, singing her heart out, and JIM, blowing out his, make this one of the discs best. 

 

    On "I GET EVIL", THE DADDIES spice things up a bit with some Cajun Funk.  MITCH WOODS, one of the best there is when it comes to boogie woogie, Nawlin's style of piano, is mostly responsible for that.  Hot rhythm and tenor sax add this being another of the discs best.

 

    One of the discs instrumentals is an absolutely splendid track titled "SOUL SERENADE".  With the rhythm section in a soft and soothing groove, this one is all about TOM and ERIC.  Their command of the tenor sax and B3 organ are truly flawless. 

 

    "MAYBE" being old enough to remember the original version of this song had something to do with the effect it had on me.  Listening to BECKI SUE and CANDYE KANE sing the song that rocketed THE CHANTELS to fame back in 1957 sent chills through this baby boomers body.  I'm one of those people who often use the cliche "They just don't make songs like this anymore" - and they don't.  However, it was sure nice hearing these ladies do a job that I'm sure even Arlene Smith, Lois Harris, Sonia Goring, Jackie Landry, and Rene Minus would enjoy hearing.  Replaying this track probably resulted in this paragraph taking an hour to write.....and I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather been doing.