TOM HOLLAND & THE SHUFFLE KINGS

No Fluff, Just the Stuff

E Natchel Records

10 tracks/43:29

By Mark Thompson

It has been a decade since guitarist Tom Holland released his first recording with his band, the Shuffle Kings. In the interim, Holland certainly has managed to stay busy with his gig as the guitar player for the Chicago blues harp legend, James Cotton. When he wasn’t on the road with Cotton, Holland could be found leading the Shuffle Kings in clubs throughout the greater Chicago area.

Holland certainly has been educated by some of the best. He got his start working with L.V. Banks and by the time Cotton hired him, Holland had also spent several years as a member of John Primer’s Real Deal Blues Band, followed by a stint in Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater’s group. The long stretch between recordings gave Holland plenty of time to write a batch of high-quality songs that rest squarely in the middle of the electric blues tradition. And once you start listening, it quickly becomes obvious that the Shuffle Kings have been hard at work, using their club dates to hone each tune to fine edge without losing the energy and spirit that is unique to the live stage.

They burst out of the gate with a spirited romp through “Waiting on the Other Shoe to Drop” with Holland firing off licks from all angles over the solid rhythm from Mike Scharf on bass and Tino Cortes on drums. “Long Road to Tomorrow” has a funkier sound with Holland’s warm vocal playing off the mournful tones Dig D generates on his harp. And when the band slows the pace, you get a damn-near perfect recreation of the Muddy Waters sound with Holland demonstrating his skill on the slide guitar on “Hurry Up & Wait”. The leader shows his range as a singer on the soulful “Easiest Thing I’ll Ever Do” before breaking out an instrumental  tribute, “Hey Pardner”,  based on one of Hubert Sumlin’s  famous guitar riffs.

Two cuts feature one of Holland’s former employers. The brisk shuffle, “More Things Change”, features Holland trading guitar licks with John Primer.  Their fiery dialogue continues on “Shuffle King Boogie”, an up-tempo, swinging tune that ends all too soon.  “Look Here Baby” is one of four tracks that include Marty Sammon, from Buddy Guy’s band, on piano. His rolling solo complements Holland’s outstanding rhythm guitar work that mixes lightning quick runs and chopped chords over a rumba rhythm. Another highlight is the searing take of “Hardest Part of Loving You”, done in a minor key for that essential low-down feel.  Holland‘s voice is full of anguish that is echoed in the taut fills he wrenches out of his instrument. The instrumental title track has Big D raising some sand with his hard blowing on the harp leading up to a fleet-fingered solo from the leader to close things out in fine fashion.

Recorded at Felix Reyes’ (of Felix & the Cats fame) The House of Tone studio, this one is all you could want from a blues recording - and then some! Holland has been well-schooled in the Chicago blues legacies, as have all of the members of the Shuffle Kings. For once, the title gets it right. This is a straight-ahead, no frills blues recording that comes highly recommended!

 For more info:

www.tomhollandshufflekings.com

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