Soulful Sounds of The Blues Hi-Way Band at Reckless Steamy Nights
Tad Shaefer’s new group, The Blues Hi-Way Band, pulled into Reckless Steamy Nights for two hot sets of cool blues. Joanne and I had seen them at one of their first gigs back in February, then Tad was asked if the band would do a showcase set at the Membership Fundraiser. They agreed, impressing those in attendance, and when a spot opened for the April Reckless do to a postponement, they were happy to oblige. For this show, core members Tad on guitar and Angelo Mancuso on bass were joined by one of my favorite keyboard players, John Pittas, and young guns Carter Vames on sax and Carmel St. Louis on drums.
The opening number, “A Bad Case of Love,” featured an excellent sax solo by Carter which answered a question in my mind, as the two previous performances had two of the best, Baron Raymonde and Tommy LaBella in that role. “Get Out of my Life” put the spotlight on John Pittas, and he was equally up to the task, as he always is. By then, I knew we were in for a great night of music. A swinging version of “Rock With Me” was played with some tasty sax fills. Tad put his stamp on the evening with some high-flying soloing to complement the rest of the band on an outstanding version of the Howlin’ Wolf tune, “She’s Into Something.” They then reached deep into the Allman Brothers catalogue for a great slow blues, “Jelly Jelly.” It was followed up with a tune that’s been covered by everyone from Nat King Cole to the Fabulous Thunderbirds called “Walkin’ To My Baby,’ and both Tad and Carter provided some fine solos. Howlin’ Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talking” was another great choice done in a mid-tempo style. “Please Accept My Love,” most closely associated with B.B. King, showcased Tad’s vocals on this ballad. “Little by Little” was written by Mel London and first recorded in 1960 by Little Walter. It was a fitting way to close the first set and the band did so to an appreciative crowd.
The second set kicked off with a Robert Cray tune, “Nothing But A Woman,” a nice mid-tempo number to get things started. It was followed up with a rollicking version of T Bone Walker’s “T Bone Shuffle,” which included a fine drum solo by Carmel. The song that always gets me moving came next, Screamin’ Jay Hawkin’s “I Put a Spell on You.” I was lucky enough to be in the fourth row at Madison Square Garden in 1981 for the Stones Tattoo You concert, and when the show started, a coffin was wheeled onto the stage through the mist. The lid opened, and Screamin’ Jay jumped out in his jungle outfit and the crowd went nuts! While this version wasn’t at that level theatrically, musically it was a joy to hear. They then proceeded to launch into a rousing take on the Albert King classic, “Oh, Pretty Woman.” The band then dug deep to come up with a song that is most closely associated with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, “I Got Eyes,” and it sounded great. “Marie, Marie,” a song written by Dave Alvin in the Rockabilly style, had a more bluesy sound and feel as done by the band, and I liked it. Back to the Albert King songbook, they chose one of my favorites, “Crosscut Saw” to finish the night. But wait there’s more. The house clamored for and the band responded with a fine encore, B.B. King’s “You Upset Me.” It was a great night for the blues by a band of seasoned players and bright up and comers who, if you weren’t there, you need to see live.
Check our band listings calendar for future dates.