So the other day after I listened to Nick Moss’ new CD Privileged I said I was going to go back and listen to some of his other CDs. So today I listened to his album Live at Chan’s – Combo Platter No. 2 and I think I like it more than Privileged. The album is just flat out great! Because the tracks are longer the band gets to stretch a little more and the results are some fantastic tracks, starting with the opening track “Spare Ribs & Chopsticks” an eight plus minute instrumental featuring the basic band Moss on guitar, Gerry Hundt on bass, Willie Oshawny on piano and Bob Carter and it is a fantastic start. On the next track Gerry Hundt switches to harmonica and provides some tasty licks on “Try to Treat Me Right” Things switch up a little on the third track “Whiskey Makes Me Mean” a Gerry Hundt song and Gerry provides the vocals and mandolin, Moss takes over the harp duties and Moss’ wife Kate sits in on bass and everything again is stellar!! Things move along for the next few tracks through the 9 minute plus instrumental “Fill’er Up” again on this track Hundt provides some great harp work and Kate sits in on bass! After this track things go from great to fantastic as Moss brings out his special guest Lurrie Bell a second generation blues guitarist Lurrie Bell on of harmonica legend Carey Bell. and for the next three tracks Bell handles the vocals and Moss and Bell swap solos through “Don’t Lie to Me”, an Eddie Boyd song ” Five Long Years” a stellar track and Willie Dixon’s “I’m Ready” (which I listened to by Hubert Sumlin the other day) and the closing track a Moss original Moss takes back over the vocals and again Bell and Moss swap solos.
So this album captures Nick Moss and the Flip Tops at their best and I know it’s going to stay on the mp3 player for a long while and I already downloaded Live at Chans – the first album and can’t wait to listen!
Nick Moss and Lurrie Bell Live at Chan’s in 2008
