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Henry Gray & the Cats: Watch Yourself |
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New Orleans
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Sunday, 22 January 2006 06:49 |
Henry Gray & the Cats with Paul Buck Sinegal
Watch Yourself
Lucky Cat Records
By John Sinclair
The emergence of legendary Baton Rouge pianist Henry Gray as a featured artist, vocalist and bandleader well into his 70s has been a wonderful development for music lovers of the truly authentic blues persuasion.
One of the most influential pianists of the modern era, Henry helped define the keyboard sound of the Chicago blues after World War II on dates with Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Reed, Junior Wells, and other modern blues giants. His work as a key sideman with Howlin Wolf between 1954 and 1968 was featured on many classic Chess recordings and introduced him to audiences all over the world.
Henry left Wolf and the Chicago blues scene in the late 60s to return to the Baton Rouge area where he grew up. There he graced the bands of Louisiana bluesmen Slim Harpo, Lightnin Slim, Tabby Thomas, Raful Neal, Whisperin Smith and others before forming a working band with bassist Andy Cornett, Brian B.B. Bruce on harmonica and drummer Earl Christopher.
Henry Gray & The Cats joined by guest guitarists Sonny Landreth and Martin Simpson cut their first album, Blues Won t Let Me Take My Rest, live at the Grant Street club in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1999 and released it on their own Lucky Cat Records. Excellent reviews and brisk sales of the initial release inspired them to undertake the outing under hand, another stirring collection of Henry Gray originals and blues classics rendered to perfection by the band and their musical friends, including the great Louisiana guitarist Paul Little Buck Sinegal.
Henry's piano is front and center here, rolling and rocking like a mighty force of nature, and his singing and playing are remarkably robust for a man of 75 indeed, for a man of any age. Henry Gray is a true American treasure, captured here at the very top of his form, playing and singing his heart out, and we are extremely fortunate to be able to enjoy the sweet late-blooming fruits of his life-long labor as one of the perfect masters of the electric blues.
--New Orleans
December 15, 2000
(c) 2000, 2006 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.
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