JOE MOSS BAND

Manifesto

212 Records 

By Greg Easterling

            It's been a long time coming but the Joe Moss Band is back with a strong new album for 2015  entitled Manifesto. In 2008, bandleader Moss released Maricela’s Smile on his own 212 Records imprint; in 2011 the band made its debut on the Hit Brothers Records label with a live CD, Drive Time – Live At Chan’s.

            Co-produced by Moss and the band's bass player Mike Zabrin, Manifesto finds the Joe Moss Band in fine form and trying on a variety of musical hats while still maintaining the strong blues orientation that brought him to the show years ago.  Keyboardist Greg Sefner and drummer Dana Thompson complete the band's lineup, providing solid support for Moss' stellar (always tasteful, never flashy) guitar work and lead vocal duties. Except for two covers, Moss penned all of the songs.

     The 13-track album kicks off with the uptown Rhythm and Blues of “Ain't That Love” which features Moss singing most soulfully backed up by the powerhouse Chicago Horns (Bryan Fritz on sax, Ryan Nyther on trumpet and Norman Palm on trombone).  On several other cuts, Moss employs the famed Rhode Island horn section from Roomful of Blues (Rich Lataille, alto/tenor, Mark Early, tenor baritone, Doug Woolverton, trumpet). The brass adds a certain commercial sheen and class to the project; some of the horn parts occasionally sound like those played by the band Chicago's distinctive horn section.

     The band keeps it funky on “Black Boots”, a sassy declaration of affection. Moss puts his wah wah pedal to good use here with major input from Sefner on keyboards. “Freedom” has been a crowd pleaser at Moss' live performances for months now and it appears here on album for the first time. When performed live, it's a long jazzy jam; this version is more radio friendly at 3:46. “Freedom” features singer Ashely Otis’ harmonies as a nice feminine counterpoint to Moss’ husky voice. Later on the album, “Two Hearts” negotiates some of the same musical terrain with a breezy, up tempo, jazzy R&B feel, plus a guest spot by Hammond organist John Christy.

     The extended jam, “Never Did Anything” gives the band a chance to stretch out. Clocking in at close to seven minutes, it's the album's longest track and also one of the highlights, especially indicative of what Moss and the band sound like playing live in the clubs, where they earn a living.

     More traditional sounding Chicago blues is represented by selections such as “Pay Up” and “Time To Go.” With a nod to his roots, Moss also pays tribute to Windy City blues great Otis Rush with two Rush classics, “Homework,” covered by many over the years such as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and The J. Geils Band. There's also “Right Place, Wrong Time,” the title track from one of Rush's most unjustly ignored records. Lyrically it captures the frustration of unrequited love better than most: “They say there's someone for everybody/ Where in the world is the one for me?”

      “I’m So Into You” is a slower, smoldering song of forbidden love with some great solo work from keyboardist Sefner and Moss on guitar, one of the best cuts here. “Rich Folks” delves into socio-economic issues, making some points lyrically about the gap between rich and poor with lines like “The price to pay is just too doggone high” with another outstanding Moss guitar solo. “Michael” is a total change of pace musically, with Moss going solo on acoustic guitar while singing a tender tribute to a departing friend; it’s an enigmatic song that makes you want to hear the whole story.

     Manifesto closes on a funky note with the booty-shakin’ instrumental “Spunk and Honutz,” giving the whole band an opportunity to wail and workout before saying goodbye.

       Joe Moss has been a mainstay on the Chicago blues scene since his early career gig with Buddy Scott, who scouted Moss for his Rib Tips Band at a weekly jam session at Rosa's Blues Lounge; Moss made a reputation for himself with Scott, who passed at a relatively young age. After working behind blues artists like Billy Branch, Magic Slim, Lefty Dizz, A.C. Reed and others, Moss started his own

band in 1996, touring the U.S. and playing a variety of Chicago area clubs on a regular basis such as Buddy Guy's Legends, House of Blues, and B.L.U.E.S. in the city; plus smaller suburban venues such as Mac's On Slade in Palatine and Smitty's in tiny Phoenix, Illinois. 

Moss' new release Manifesto is another step forward for the Joe Moss Band who continue to keep the blues alive and push their own boundaries musically.

For more info or to buy the CD, visit:  www.joemossband.com

Greg Easterling holds down the 12 midnight – 5 a.m. shift on WDRV (97.1 FM) He also hosts American Backroads on WDCB (90.9 FM) Thursdays at 9 p.m.

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