Avalanche+ - The Chicago Loop

Hear The Track Here

When is an Avalanche not an Avalanche? Most of are used to being beaten solidly about the hearing implements by the rock band of the same name but this isn't really the usual Avalanche crew, more like a motley crew. (Ed: groan). Mike Foster (for it is he) is a very engaging character online, and generally has lots to say, and he's always willing to pitch into something new and this track is so new it's growing whiskers. OK OK, take that puzzled look off your face, siddown wanna tellya story... Way back when I first started working with bands, the best way to get a musicians life was to be out playing - anywhere, everywhere, wherever you could. Sometimes you got paid for it, sometimes it was just for fun.

And the blues was the best fun of all.

Jamming together with someone you've never met can be a tremendously exhilarating release, for all the participants and nothing lends itself better to jamming than a good - old fashioned yes - dose of the blues. Mike Foster serves one up here with some unique help from all his mates on Soundclick's Blues Forum. Along with my liking of the blues, Mike adds a Hammond to the proceedings and I'm in hog heaven, as well as transported back in time when playing stuff like this was like life itself. It took me ages to get past the song enough to start concentrating on the particulars of who did what and I am actually researching this as I type. If you love the blues, Momma, here's your baby....

As good as a blues song is, and this IS a good song; it's heart is, was and always will be in the leads; and Chicago Loop boasts no less than six separate guitarists; all well known Soundclicker's so the quality is - as you would expect - absolutely top class in all respects. Sure, its a bit clean in the ol' production but in lots of ways that IS the Chicago strain of the blues, at least as typified by the likes of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann and in a lesser sense the great BB King. The solos are seamlessly integrated right at the end of the track and not one of them detracts one iota from the feel and dynamism of the peice and considering the wide range of styles encompassed, that's a hefty job right there. The soloists are: Mike Foster, Tom 'tootired' Keller, Missippi Spud, Joe Wrabeck, Richard Bethell (aka admiralbob77) and Gem (aka Watsonica) - all delivering their very best. Wins hands down.

MUST HAVE slice of authentic just-like-momma-made blues. (Ed: Momma? WTF???!?)