Important early album with Piazza and George Smith. Rod was born in 1947. He was 23 when he made this. Is the solo on "Boom Boom" (second cut) his? I think it is. I don't know many 23-year-olds who can play like that--apart from Little Walter, of course:
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Nov 05, 2015 12:45 PM
As it has been said before elsewhere an important record for the history of Los Angeles blues and also Rod had been gigging/learning (not just harmonica diatonic/chromatic but blues and stage craft) with George since he was 18! ----------
"Those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do"
My favorite George Smith album bar none is Arkansas Trap. There is a tune that I forget the title concerning a house burning down that has Rod playing throughout the background and George on top when not vocalizing. That's my favorite of their dual harp stuff. I got the double album when Bacon Fat was released a few years back and it is truly awesome, but I was disapointed that there wasn't more two harps at once. Monday morning quarterbacking.
Other two harps songs I love is the whole Big Walter Carey Bell album and Musselwhite and Piazza on Blue Feeling Today on Musselwhite's Tennessee Woman album (my favorite Musselwhite, followed closely by The Harmonica According to Musselwhite).
Great stuff! Love this album. Mark Ford was only 18 when he recorded with Charles Ford Band. He started playing with the band even earlier - when he was 14.
Arkansas Trap is long overdue for a CD release. It always used to surprise me how much Mike Vernon had to do with the songs on that album although he did have a lot to do with Rod.George and Bacon Fat and now Mike Vernon has his own band and CD out with West Weston playing on it!
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"Those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do"
