Beginners luck or experts at work? That could be what inquiring minds might want to know once the "The Mighty Mojo Prophets" - the disc and the band - become big hits.....and trust me, they will. You see, "The Mighty Mojo Prophets", the disc, is the very first release for the newly formed Rip Cat Records.

Musician wise "The Mighty Mojo Prophets", the band, consists of: Tom "Big Son" Eliff on vocals, Mitch Dow on guitars, Scott Lambert on bass, Johnny Minguez on drums and Alex "LiL A" Woodson on harp. Additional musical guests include: Junior Watson and Scott Abeyta on guitar, Edo Guidotti on organ, Johnny Mastro and San Pedro Slim on harp, Eddie Estudillo on sax, and Whiteboy James on vocals.

"The Mighty Mojo Prophets" contains thirteen tracks of which all are band originals and it's loaded with the sounds that made Southern California the hot bed for the blues during the 80's & 90's. If names like William Clarke, James Harman, The Mighty Flyers, and Luke and the Locomotives get your mojo working, then prepare yourselves for The Mighty Mojo Prophets.

OK, I'm on the fourth listen of "Friday Night Phone Call" and haven't said a word about it yet....hold on, make that the fifth listen. Alright, after 8 - 9 listens, in order to be able to type, I've totally turned the music off. With 3 killer guitar solos - 1 by Mitch and 2 by Junior, fabulous and furious rhythm from Scott & Johnny, very lively vocals from Tom, and snappy and melodic hand clapping, this is west coast swing at it's swingin' best. Put on your dancing shoes.

Being a more traditional style of blues song, "Night Train" slows things down some. This one features Alex blowin' some serious blues through those harmonica holes, Mitch slinging away on slide guitar and Tom telling some soulful tales on vocals.

The beautiful blend of the bass, the cymbals and organ create a masterful background rhythm for Tom as he smoothly talks and sings his way through "Life's A Hurting Thing" as only a cool cat from California can do. Very good stuff.

"West Coast Blues" isn't just the name of the song and it's not just a style of blues. It's what this band, it's label mates and Rip Cat Records are all about, so why not sing about it. The lyrics mention Whiteboy James and the Blues Express, San Pedro Slim, Johnny Mastro, and The 44's - all Rip Cat Artists with that so cool, SO. CAL. sound. BTW, it's Johnny who's doing that William Clarke thing on the chromatic harp right here.

After already thinking this several times, I'm now sure I'm listening to the disc's best track - "My Baby". It's one of those retro sounding blues songs that always acts like a time machine for this baby boomer. They remind me of times where although music was still my passion, it wasn't needed as therapy. The amazing guitar work by Mitch and Scott Abeyta - the disc's producer and label lord, the steamy saxophone riffs by Eddie and the outstanding vocals by Tom all highlight this one.

"Boogie Woogie Rhythm".....and that's all I'm saying - simple as that! However, I will tell you that the vocal duet between Tom and Whiteboy James is as awesome as the rest.

The Mighty Mojo Prophets closes with a Piedmont Blues type song. It's an acoustic track titled "Travelin' Man" and it features a remarkable harmonica performance by San Pedro Slim and extraordinary pickin' by Mitch.

As you might expect, more about The Mighty Mojo Prophets can be found at www.mightymojoprophets.com. Check 'em out and please tell them the Blewzzman sent ya.