Shadow of the Blues
When it comes to jump blues, few contemporary outfits can match Little Charlie & the Nightcats. This is their eighth album for Alligator, with more of the lean, sparsely arranged, mostly original tunes that are the band's stock in trade. Lead singer/harpman Rick Estrin, who wrote most of the material, produces songs laced with wry wit. On top of that, he is one of the best blues harp players around. Estrin plays flawless chromatic and he can do Sonny Boy Williamson- style harmonica almost as well as the master himself. Guitarist Little Charlie Baty manages to blend the best of T Bone Walker and Charlie Christian with hot, modern-style phrasing. Choice selections include the title cut, the tongue-in-cheek "Big and Fat," and Charlie's tour de force, "Percolatin'."--Lars Gandil