The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue

(Tommy Castro-Deanna Bogart-Magic Dick-Ronnie Baker Brooks)

Command Performance

 Delta Groove Records

By Karen Brault

The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise sets sail twice a year with the presentation of an all-star lineup of today’s best blues artists. A floating blues festival in its own right, the Blues Cruise is the world’s only seven-day, fully chartered cruise that travels the high seas. Launching annually from both sides of the U.S, the luxury Blues Cruise departs from San Diego, CA and travels to the Mexican Riviera; it also departs from Fort Lauderdale, FL and travels to the Caribbean Islands. The cruises always feature about two dozen of the best blues artists ever brought together for one of the most amazing blues experiences on the planet. But these phenomenal performances on the cruise were so potent, they just couldn’t be contained. So coming together with a brilliant plan in 2007, a particular group of these artists packed up and took to the road. Thus, The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue was born.

            The blues super group hit the California club scene and, together with the Blues Cruise gigs and the clubs, captured live recordings of these performances. The very best of those live tracks were made into a classic album. Together with the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise founder Roger Nabor and blues artist Tommy Castro, Delta Groove Records released these recordings on its label titled The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue Command Performance featuring Tommy Castro and his band, Deanna Bogart, Magic Dick Salwitz, Chicago’s own Ronnie Baker Brooks and guest artists Curtis Salgado, Marcia Ball and Elvin Bishop.

            With 13 songs total on this tour-de-force CD, take your pick of favorites. Any one of these songs could be labeled as the best of them all. The rowdy audience caught live on these performances makes you wish you could have been there, but don’t worry, the CD gives you the best seat in the house.  The impressive mix of the artists’ talents on Command Performance, each taking their turns in a nice balance of knock ’em dead solo spots, is a major attribute of what makes this a great album.

            “Can’t You See” kicks things off.  It’s a dynamic, list-topping song written and performed by Ronnie Baker Brooks, who struts his stuff on vocals and takes his guitar fret work to the max. This full-tilt rockin’ blues number includes a tight horn section and the wicked piano- pounding of keyboardist Deanna Bogart that is reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis himself.

The instrumental “Whammer Jammer” is a jaw-dropping number which showcases the incredible harmonica talents of Magic Dick. This song originated in the early ‘70s when Magic Dick performed with the J. Geils Band, and is a show-stopping classic.  Coincidently on this live number, Magic Dick’s bullet microphone broke so he played his harmonica through a vocal mic, showing fans he really does play this impressive number without studio dubbing tricks. Featuring Deanna Bogart on keys, Tommy Castro on guitar and and a stellar horn section, this jammin’ cut will blow you away, even without the high seas winds.

Deanna Bogart brings her talents to the head of the class with “Still The Girl In The Band.”  Her warm vocals (and all ten fingers flying across the piano) are backed by Tommy Castro’s guitar and a great horn section. The song sails along on a soulful melody with a jazz flavoring that breaks into a hot boogie and  goes out rockin’.  Bogart switches to sax as Marcia Ball takes over on piano for the CD’s final number, “Sea Cruise,” a most appropriate choice.

             “See You Hurt No More” is a down- to-the-bone, sweet and soulful blues number written and performed by Ronnie Baker Brooks. Ronnie takes his guitar into a soulful cry on this ballad while Deanna Bogart’s vocals and keyboards harmonize beautifully with him. Blended into the song is a tasty horn arrangement, making this one of my favorite songs. Just before Ronnie kicks off this spellbinding little number, he tells the audience, “This one’s for the ladies.”  And to that I say, “Thanks, Ronnie.”

            “High On The Hog” gets down ‘n’ dirty with an attitude and styling you can’t match. Tommy Castro goes head-to-head with guitarist Elvin Bishop. The two show off their guitar skills as Tommy wails and Elvin answers right back.  Magic Dick hits with a heavy harmonica solo that will make you plead for more. Piano and back up vocals by Deanna Bogart, Ronnie Baker Brooks on guitar and vocals, and a full horn section, along with a growling B-3 organ, combine to create a live cut that will take you all the way.  

 An amazing CD destined to be among the classics of our generation and generations to come, this is an incredible collaboration showing the brilliant talents of the finest blues artists of our day. Keenly mixed to give the listener the ability to tune into all of these incredibly skilled musicians and their craft, not one note of Command Performance is a disappointment.

So… with all that being said, the only thing for you to do now is crank up the volume, sit back and enjoy, because this is one hell of a CD.     

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