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CD64
JIM SUHLER & ALAN HAYNES
LIVE AT BLUE CAT BLUES
TopCat Records
http://texasblues.com/topcat
On their own, Jim Suhler & Alan Haynes are two excellent guitarists, but when they team up, you, the listener are in for the experience of a lifetime. Suhler, from Dallas, Texas has recorded two albums with his own band Monkeybeat, and one Mike Morgan. He also plays guitar in George Thorogood's touring band. Haynes has been a mainstay of the Austin blues scene for a number of years and has released two albums, Seventh Son, and Wishing Well. He's also played on albums by Roy Cox, Winter & Turner, and the Tribute To Elmore James album that came out about four years ago.
Suhler & Haynes started jamming together a few years ago in the old red light district of Deep Ellum in Dallas. Around mid 1998 they wound up in what could well be the best blues club and restaurant in Dallas, Blue Cat Blues and recorded this album. Produced by Suhler and Richard Chalk(TopCat Records) it's a warts an all production including feedback. The album features eight tracks with three originals from Jim Suhler and five covers coming in at around 50 mins. of playing time. It kicks off with a cover of Louisiana Red's Too Poor To Die with Suhler on vocals followed by Eddie Taylor's Knockin' At Your Door and Haynes on vocals. Both of these tracks feature some of the filthiest slide playing you'll hear. The next track is Freddie King's I Wonder Why, again with Haynes on vocals and Suhler on first solo. Two more covers they do are Ray Sharpe's Oh My Baby's Gone, and a really cool version of Hendrix's Are You Experienced with Jim Suhler creating the wierd effects on a National steel.
Live at Blue Cat Blues is as live as it gets without actually being there. Two Texas guitar slingers on the same stage trading licks, it doesn't get much better than that!
Eric Black
Blue Country 101FM
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