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Blue Lunch:
Sideswiped
(Wilbert's Records)
By Anastasia Pantsios
Cleveland SCENE
January 6, 2010
Sideswiped is the band's fifth album and their first since 2004's Big Sound Blues. All have been released on Wilbert's label, and fittingly, they'll have their release party at Wilbert's this weekend. Sideswiped demonstrates the band's seemingly limitless ability to freshen up '40s and '50s dance-music styles. Such seasoned musicians with stellar chops often produce technically admirable music that sounds rote. Not so here. The band applies a light and lively touch to jaunty novelty tunes like "Monkey Hips and Rice" and the Ernie K-Doe classic "Mother-in-Law," swings with aplomb on "Too Much Boogie" and injects the old-school R&B of "Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday" with the requisite fervor.
Sideswiped also contains more of Frank's own tunes than previous CDs. Instead of three or four, there are seven of his compositions, including the title instrumental, the sharp jump blues "Which Way to Go," the big, sexy, urbane blues of "My Baby Knows Lovin'" and the after-hours, Tom Waits-ish "All Things Come."
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Blue Lunch
Sideswiped
(Wilberts Records )
By Greg Ceilic
CloolCleveland.com
January 23, 2010
The guys in Blue Lunch have been playing the blues so long, either individually or as group, that their live shows almost become a lesson in blues music, showing influences from Chicago, New Orleans, Soul, 50's Rock and Roll, and everything in between. Their fifth release on Wilberts Records Sideswiped does the same thing, with fifteen solid tracks featuring Blue Lunch's many styles and talents.
The disc includes seven originals and eight covers. Bob Frank, Pete London and company have you up and dancing on almost every track. The best of the originals include the title track, a great Memphis sound number; "All Things to Come," one of their favorite live tunes; and "Don't Point that Thing at Me." Amongst the covers are the R & B classic "Everyday will be Like a Holiday," with great four part harmony on the chorus; and the album's closer, a rowdy version of Doc Pomus's "Too Much Boogie."
Blue Lunch is Frank on guitar and vocals, London on harmonica and vocals, Raymond DeForest on bass, Scott Flowers on drums, Mike Sands on piano, Keith McKelley on tenor, Bob Michael on trombone, and Mike Rubin on trumpet. The guest list for Sideswiped is a who's who of the blues, including a couple of great sax solos by Boston's "Sax" Gordon Beadle.
I highly recommend Blue Lunch's new release Sideswiped, it's a great piece of music from some local guys who really know how to do it.
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| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
July 25, 2008
Blue Lunch from Cleveland
I'm looking forward to their set -- never heard them, but they're supposed to have a horn-driven big-band, R&B flavor as well as a straight blues bent.
Before they start up, Moondog himself (I wonder if he'd like to meet HoneyBoy?), Ron Esser, who runs Moondog's and books the festival bands, welcomed everybody on behalf of fest sponsor First Commonweath. Nothing like a bank that's still solvent to pay the bills.
But here comes the band. They're an impressive looking group -- harp, sax, trumpet, keyboards, upright bass -- dig that!
They've got a little New Orleans rhythm, some raunchy sax -- remember "Mother In Law" by Ernie K-Doe? They're doing it a huge amount of justice as I try to type in time to the music. Next up, Professor Longhair. Then, "Barefootin'." These guys swing. If you drive really fast, maybe you can still catch a tune. Now it's Huey Piano Smith.
They're really rolling in the New Orleans music. After all, the first night of the fest was billed as Mardi Gras night, so that's cool
(BlueNotes conflict of interest note: I'm sucking down a really good and head-numbing cold red, white and blue Italian ice handed to me by Tom La Scola. Just for being BlueNotes. Thanks, Tom.)
This is a heckuva set. Kind of like Roomful of Blues, but from Cleveland. They swing, they rock, they get down and dirty with the blues. What more can a blues fan ask? No free lunch? Don't tell these guys.
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Pittsburgh Blues Festival,
July 25, 2008 |
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Blue Lunch:
Big Sound Blues
(Wilbert's Records)
BY DUANE VERH
feedback@clevescene.com
Blue Lunch
Details: Friday, June 11
Where: Wilbert's
June 9, 2004
The hep cats of Blue Lunch have always been a diverse outfit, tapping their love of classic R&B and doo-wop in addition to "straight" blues. The band's celebrating two decades of music with the release of its fourth CD, a collection that comes hard with predictably rock-solid playing and a distinctive stylistic mix.
The iron man here is guitarist-vocalist Bob Frank, whose versatility clearly grounds the band. Not many outfits that strut their swing stuff so well can put on a country-blues face that's just as respectable -- as Blue Lunch does here on Frank's version of Robert Lockwood's "Little Boy Blue." Frank's originals stand up nicely alongside the well-chosen vintage covers; his sly Latin/lounge mash-up "You Got to Dance the Cha Cha With Me" is as good as almost anything from Roomful of Blues or Little Charlie & the Nightcats. The best track, though, is the smokin' cover of the Five Royales' "I Do," which, in an ideal world, would be Blue Lunch's radio single.
clevescene.com | originally published: June 9, 2004
Blue Lunch
Big Sound Blues
(Wilbert's Records)
By Anastasia Pantsios
Cleveland FREE TIMES
Blue Lunch plays retro music. Its specialty is that confluence of late '40s/early '50s jump blues/R&B/post-swing music that soon morphed into rock 'n' roll. But there's nothing musty about this nearly 20-year-old Cleveland act that has really started to make a name for itself in the last decade. Although this 17-track disc, its fourth, contains four tracks by band leader/vocalist/ guitarist Bob Frank, most of it consists of vintage covers, with a heavy focus on lively, fun stuff that often, on tracks like “Chicken Blues” and “Honey Chile,” exhibits the goofball humor that era's pop music was known for. Spirited, danceable tunes like “Alligator Meat” and “I Do, I Do, I Do,” driven by the crisp horn section, predominate, spelled by an occasional blues track like “Little Boy Blue.” That the band brings it all off with such panache is a tribute to its chops; the eight players comprise some of this town's most seasoned musicians. In big-band style, brief but non-indulgent solos give them a chance to shine without breaking up the flow of the tunes.
Blue Lunch
Big Sound Blues
(Wilbert's Records)
Blues Review
Oct/Nov 2004
By Jeff Calvin
"Now here's a big band-Ohio's Blue Lunch is an eight piece outfit fronted by guitarist Bob Frank and harpist Peter London (both men sing). Big Sound Blues boasts a swinging batch of tunes wamed up with a winning sax/trumpet/bone section and good singing and playing. These guys are pros; listen and learn. Hot slices: the house-proud "Cleveland Ohio Blues" and a cover of T-Bone Walker's "Vida Lee".
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Blue Lunch: CD Review
Big Sound Blues
(Wilbert's Records)
BY PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO,
© JUNE, 2004
As soon as I tore off the cellophane wrapper and opened this CD it started leaving good impressions on me. This is going to be the first time I ever did a review and am mentioning the jacket, but it did impress me enough to do so. Kudos to Jennifer May at Point to Point Communications for the very nice CD design.
This is the fourth CD from BLUE LUNCH a band from Cleveland, Ohio that has been together since 1984. That's a long time for a local band to keep it fun, keep it right and keep it good, especially with eight members involved. The band consists of BOB FRANK, the musical director on guitar and vocals; PETER LONDON, on harmonica and vocals; NORMAN TISCHLER, on saxophone and harmony vocals; BOB MICHAEL, trombone and harmony vocals; MIKE RUBIN, on trumpet; RAYMOND DEFOREST, on upright bass and harmony vocals; MIKE SANDS, on keyboards; and MIKE JANOWITZ, on drums. For this session support was provided by DICK INGERSOLL, on baritone saxophone; SAMMY DE LEONE, on congas and percussion; and MARK FREEMAN, on harmony vocals and hand claps. Sounds like a lot of music right? It is! Seventeen tracks worth, and it's all hot. Calling this CD "BIG SOUND BLUES" was right on target.
All the tracks on "BIG SOUND BLUES", five originals and twelve covers, were very well done. This is one of those CD's that you pop in and just completely enjoy, from start to finish. I will however mention a few that deserve some extra merit.
"IC BOOGIE", the opening track and one of the originals gets you going right off the bat. It's the cut that starts you shaking and that's pretty much how you stay throughout the CD. There's a real nice harmonica / saxophone duel with the piano getting it's licks in too.
"YOU'VE GOT TO DANCE THE CHA CHA WITH ME", another original, has to be a favorite of live audiences at BLUE LUNCH shows. This cut makes you wanna dance - the cha cha of course. It sounded like the RICKY RICARDO ORCHESTRA, playing the blues.
"CLEVELAND, OHIO BLUES", yet another original, has a real nice ROOMFUL OF BLUES sound to it. It's real smooth and soulfully sung ALA SUGAR RAY. Several times during this one I found myself drifting away from the review and rocking to the sounds. The horn section shines on this song about someone not wanting to leave Cleveland, Ohio.
"CHICKEN BLUES" is a real funky and funny song. In it you are advised that "If you don't like chicken you should leave the hen alone". It is sung by the upright bass player, RAYMOND DEFOREST, and his vocals sound just like his instrument.
A fourth original "NEW PLACE TO HANG MY HAT" is another Sugar Ray / Roomful styled song. It's quite clear that they were a big influences on this band. I'm sure also that lead vocalist BOB FRANK may have listened to a few DARREL NULISCH recording over the years.
I absolutely loved this CD and although it is only June, it may very well be a contender for the BLEWZZY. |
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