So this Blues Wednesday, I didn’t start by checking any charts. I thought that since I had good luck last week with Blue Bella Records I’d just check and see what other bands are on their label with new albums out! What I found were two names first Matthew Stubbs and second The Cash Box Kings. So when I got to work and started work and listening I started with The Cash Box Kings album I-94 Blues. I listened to the first track “Default Boogie” a little boogie number about the current 
economic conditions! It sounded great but not a good sound for doing writing, which is what I was doing so I tried the other name Matthew Stubbs and his album Medford and Main. This album was great for writing since it was an instrumental album! According to his website Stubbs plays soul drenched roots and blues guitar instrumentals. Stubbs is a great guitarist who currently plays with the legendary Charlie Musselwhite Band, as well as his own band, The Matthew Stubbs Band. He was named 2009 Outstanding Guitarist from Blues Audience Magazine and was a 2009 Boston Music Award Nominee for Blues Act of the Year. I listened for a little while liked what I heard and this will definitely be a listen while you work CD!
Then I changed genres again and listened to more of Stefon Harris I listened to some tracks from
his 2003 release The Grand Unification Theory once again I liked what I heard and was soon done writing which meant I could go back to listening to The Cash Box King‘s album I-94 Blues.
The Cash Box Kings are a blues band that carry on the spirit of the 1940 and 50’s post-war sound. From their website:
The band showcases the music of Chess Records and Sun Records luminaries such as Little Walter, Muddy Waters, the Howlin’ Wolf, and Big Walter Horton as well as lesser known artists such as Robert Nighthawk, Eddie Taylor, and Luther Huff. The Cash Box Kings also delve into the Mississippi Delta sounds of blues men like Charley Patton, Son House, Fred McDowell and R.L. Burnside. The group rounds off their musical offerings with a healthy dose of original music that captures the essence of the Memphis and Chicago blues sounds of the 40’s and 50’s.
What they play is a great blues mix that’s fun and they must be dynamite live!! Just ask someone who knows Chicago blues Hubert Sumlin who is best known for his celebrated work, from 1955, as guitarist in Howlin’ Wolf’s band and was a major influence on almost every rock guitarist. He says:
“Playing with the Cash box Kings is the most fun I’ve had in 20 years!”
-Hubert Sumlin
Again from their website the band consists of:
“Low Rollin'” Joe Nosek on harmonica, rhythm guitar, and vocals, Chris “CB” Boeger on upright bass and vocals, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums and vocals, and Oscar “43rd Street” Wilson on vocals, guitar, and harmonica. The band is now frequently joined by newly crowned Kings Billy Flynn, guitar, mandolin, vocals, harmonica, Joel Paterson, guitar and vocals, and Jimmy Sutton, upright bass and vocals. Barrelhouse Chuck, piano and vocals, serves as a royal advisor to the group.
I liked all of the tracks on the album because each track featured something different. On “Hard Days Blues” it was the harp work, while on “Mellow Chicken Swing” a great upbeat song it was guitar and “Hittin’ on My Baby” it was a bass solo and Barrelhouse Chuck’s piano on “Ain’t No Fun When the Rabbit Got The Gun” and I can go on and on with each track! Let’s just say I enjoyed I-94 Blues and it is now on the mp3 player where it will reside for a while! I-94 Blues is the band’s fifth and will go and listen to the others!
So if you like good old Chicago Blues check this band out! Steve Jones from Illinoisblues.com/Blues Blast Magazine says this about the band:
These guys play Chicago blues the way they were meant to be played. The Cash Box Kings and their friends are in synch and play together with reckless abandon. This is a great album [‘I-94 Blues’] and it needs to be part of your collection if you want to hear the best of today’s Chicago blues!’
So It was a good blues Wednesday! Which ended with a Mark Humel album, which I just may talk about in a little while!!
Here they are performing a Son House song “Preacher’s Blues”
