J. B. Hutto
and the New Hawks
Rock With Me Tonight
Bullseye Blues Basics - 9620
1983, 1999
available on amazon
This disc is made up of the last recording session J. B. Hutto did a few months before he died and 2 previously unreleased tracks. However when listening to the intensity with which he performs these songs one would never know he was terminally ill with cancer. One of the main things that separated this charismatic showman from his contemporaries, was the intensity with which he played every single note. In his performances he poured out his soul at all times and took nothing with him back to the ‘green room’. What he had to offer was left out there in the performance hall for all to see. His shows were legendary for their stamina and dynamism, people would often line up hours before a show to get in, knowing that by the end of the evening they might be dancing on the ceiling. His slide work was filled with the burning passion that makes the guitar weep, wail and bend like the sounds that are wrung from a tortured and tormented being. Make no mistake this man was a slide guitarist who barred no holds and played with all the snarl and fire that would be coming from a cornered wildcat. He was one of the most exciting performs of his time and his style and playing once heard was unmistakable. This is the slide guitar as played by a master, complimented with completely uninhibited vocals. A rare gem of a session.
Songs, times, and writers
1. Pretty Baby – 4:36 – Herman Parker
2. Why Do Things Happen to Me – 5:18 – Roy Hawkins
3. New Hawk Walk – 3:44 – J.B. Hutto- Brian Bisesi
4. Eighteen Year Old Girl – 4:17 – J.B. Hutto
5. Black’s Ball – 2:56 - J.B. Hutto
6. Soul Lover – 3:01 - J.B. Hutto
7. Somebody Loan Me a Dime – 3:00 – Renton Robinson
8. Jealous Hearted Woman – 5:51 - J.B. Hutto
9. Little Girl Dressed In Blue – 3:08 - J.B. Hutto
10. I’m Leaving You* – 3:51 - J.B. Hutto
11. Radar* – 3:04 - J.B. Hutto
*previously unreleased
Produced by Scott Billington
Musicians –
J.B. Hutto – vocals and guitar
Brian Bisesi – guitar(first solo on Black’s Ball, last 2 solos on Radar)
Kenny Krumbholz – bass
Leroy Pina – drums
Guest Musicians
Ron Levy – piano
The Roomful of Blues Reed Section
Greg Piccolo – tenor saxophone
Rich Lataille – alto saxophone
Doug James baritone saxophone