I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Welcome To Sunderland, from The Wildcat O'Halloran Band and Wildcat is back rocking and ripping on guitar. Opening with Welcome Wagon, Wildcat on vocal and guitar leads the way with Jopey Fitzpatrick on drums, Angelo Mursey on bass and Paul Provost on keys. Johnny Winter's Check Her Mama has a cool Latin rhythm and Wildcat has those pickups fattened up with rich tone for his blistering riffs joined by Ottomatic Slim on harp. Big Maceo's Worried Life Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a deep blues feel and soulful vocal and guitar work by Wildcat. Provost's electric keys tell the story nicely and Wildcat digs in with some really nice riffs of his own. Dan Penn's blues rocker, Blues Of The Month Club, has a great feel with it's lightly funky rhythm, Provost's piano work and Wildcat's saturated blues riffs. Wilson Pickett's, Don't Knock My Love, keeps it's R&B feel Wildcat reinforcing the rhythm with his stylized guitar work and backing vocals by Wildcat's daughter, Sarah O'Halloran. St. Louis Jimmy Oden's Goin' Down Slow is an absolute blues classic and Wildcat takes it for a fine walk. Telling the story and singing the blues, Wildcat really works his fretboard over on this 10+ minute romp. Wrapping the release is Albert King's (Booker T Jones penned), Born Under A Bad Sign, wrangled by Wildcat, fusing that driving R&B undertone with a rock rhythm. Solid closer for a solid release.
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