Sur La Route de Memphis n°106 

CHICAGO KINGSNAKES
Blue mosaic
(Music King MK 60659)
* * * *
Ce groupe, formé il y a une vingtaine d’années, a
déjà sorti plusieurs albums. Parmi les 12 compos
figurant ici, la majorité relève du blues de Chicago.
Mais, comme le titre et la pochette originale du
CD le soulignent, il s’agit d’une mosaïque de
styles, et on trouve aussi des traces de soul et
de rhythm’n’blues. On note une progression dans l’album, puisque les trois
titres marquants, le rhythm’n’blues néo-orléanais sautillant "Stop drop and
roll", et les rockin’ blues carrés "Lefty" et "Mary Jane" (version électrique) se
trouvent à la fin. B.B.

This group, formed some twenty years, has
already released several albums. Of the 12 compounds
shown here, the majority falls within the Chicago blues.
But as the title and the original cover
CD point out, there is a mosaic of
styles, and there are also traces of soul and
R & B. There was an increase in portfolio, since the three
shares outstanding, the rhythm and blues from New Orleans hopping "Stop drop and
roll ", and rockin 'blues square" Lefty "and" Mary Jane "(electric version) is
at the end. B.B.
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Celebrating 28 years together, The Chicago Kingsnakes released their 10th album, "Blue Mosaic" via their own label, MusicKing Records. Consisting of members James "Ang" Anderson (Guitar/Lead Vocals), Nelson Keaton (Harmonica/Vocals), Gus Gotsis (Drums/Vocals), and Mike Bailey (Bass/Vocals), this exceptionally well known. and well seasoned band. brings us their great tasty take on Chicago Blues. Considered one of the finest Blues bands around, The Chicago Kingsnakes have honed their skilled to perfection, thanks in large part to touring and playing with some of the truly great Blues men, which included, Byther Smith, Junior Wells, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Cash McCall, to name just a few. James "Ang" Anderson has played with Buddy Guy, Albert King, Son Seals, James Cotton, and Koko Taylor, and may more. With that amount of exposure to the greats, it is no wonder why The Chicago Kingsnakes are such a well respected and well oiled Blues Machine. 

The band chose the name Blue Mosaic, for their album, because of the diverse amount of influences they all had concerning not only Chicago style Blues, but also other Blues including R&B. This diverse blend of different experiences made for one mighty fine album. 

"Blue Mosaic" consists of 12 Tracks, all originals written by James "Ang" Anderson and consists of not only fine Chicago Blues, but also a little R&B, as one finds on Track 4 "Tell The Truth" and a nice tinge of Jazz on Track 3 "Blues Gone Uptown". "Blue Mosaic" also comes with a mighty fine instrumental, Track 7 "Hip The Gip". This is the one that James "Ang" Anderson gets to shine in, all through the Track and it really shows off Anderson's Guitar to the tee's. 

One of my favorites on "Blue Mosaic" was Track 8 "Lefty", a faster paced song with great Harp work throughout, via Nelson Keaton, whom also shines throughout this album. 

Another artist that shines throughout was Ron Berry, who the band brought in to play Bass on 7 of the Tracks of which he really stood out with some big Bass playing on another one of my favorites, Track 8 "Stop Drop And Roll". The harmonizing on that one was no less than heaven to listen to. 

The last 2 Tracks on "Blue Mosaic" were quite unique in nature, because they were the same song, done first as Acoustic, and then done as Electric. The song, "Mary Jane", was a really fine way to end this album, and showed off every bit of talent they had, and more. The Acoustic version was basically James "Ang" Anderson singing and playing Guitar, Fingerpicking Style, interlaced with Nelson Keaton's Harp playing, where the Electric version kicked everything into high gear, as the rest of the band joined in for this power packed finale. 

For me, "Blue Mosaic" was a mighty mighty fine introduction to a mighty mighty fine Chicago Style Blues Band, and a introduction that certainly has my appetite wanting more. 

Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
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The Chicago Kingsnakes have been playing the blues since 1983 and, in that time, have gone from being a local sensation to an internationally touring music machine that has released many records and played literally countless shows. The band was formed by James ‘Ang’ Anderson, a guitarist and vocalist of the first order who has played with Albert King, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Lefty Dizz and Koko Taylor. The other members of the group (Nelson Keaton on harmonica and vocals, Gus Gotsis on drums and vocals, Mike Bailey on bass and vocals, and guest bassist/vocalist on about half the tracks Ron Berry) have equally impressive backgrounds and have worked with notables like Cash McCall, Big Daddy Kinsey, Jimmy Witherspoon, and other well-known blues artists. Blue Mosaic is the bands’ newest recording and the title refers to the patchwork of musical influences the members cut their teeth on, from straight-up Chicago blues to the R&B of Al Green, Booker T & The MG’s, James Brown, and Curtis Mayfield. Those influences are proudly on display on Blue Mosaic, combined with the ‘Snakes’ own unique vision of the blues 
                Right off the bat, The Kingsnakes have two big things going for them on this album that a great many blues bands just don’t do enough of, at least to this reviewer. The first is original songwriting. Blue Mosaic is made of entirely original songs, 12 of them, to be exact. There are no covers, remakes, remixes, or anything else like that on this album. Nope, this is 100% original music and it really speaks to the creativity of the band. It’s nice to hear songs we haven’t heard before, quite honestly. Also, writing original songs in any roots music style is not as easy as it may seem and requires a great grasp of the elements of the style at hand and the skill to turn those elements on their ear one more time and come up with something new and interesting all over again. The second thing is background vocals. These ‘Snakes can sing harmony and it really brings the tunes here to life. So many blues records feature one powerhouse vocalist doing their thing while the band plays and, while that’s cool, it really catches the listener when those harmonies kick in and add a new and cool texture to the music. Songs like ‘Take Your Time”, “Blues Gone Uptown”, and “Stop, Drop, And Roll” demonstrate both of these elements to great effect and are standouts.
                The Chicago Kingsnakes, while a veteran outfit, are in a good position to take this music into the future. The members of the group have clearly learned the lessons of blues masters past and are taking those lessons, mixing them with their own inherent creative energy, and creating the new blues, the blues of tomorrow. Blues music needs to stay relevant and vital in the lives of the fans; other bands would do well to follow the approach used here and create their own material and sound. Blue Mosaic is already on my short list of favorite reviews of the year and is a whole lot of fun. I can’t wait to see the band run this stuff down live.  Meet me at their next show.
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Written: Feb 10 '12,  Kevin Bligh, Epinions.com
A testament to what good blues music is all about.

The Bottom Line: The Chicago Kingsnakes have shown that blues music can be exciting and invigorating to listen to and more and more people should dive into the genre.
Back in the day, rapper Warren G. had a moving statement that went, “The blues have always been American, as American as apple pie, but the question is why. Why are the blues so at home right here? The answer is America provided the atmosphere.” And perhaps behind what might be deemed a simple rap lyric there is actually something quite powerful. Blues music is really a powerful American genre of music that is dynamic, powerful and beautiful when it is performed well. 

The Chicago Kingsnakes have been putting out amazing blues music for nearly the past 30 years and their latest release entitled Blue Mosaic is no different. 

The Kingsnakes describe that the intent of their new release is to both pay homage to the blues of the past and also show that blues is not a dying breed of music and that it is sure to carry on into the future. The album is a well rounded and expertly performed album that emphasizes what good blues music is all about and leaves the listener with nothing short of a sheer appreciation for blues music. 

The Chicago Kingsnakes are comprised of James “Ang” Anderson (guitar and vocals), Nelson Keaton (harmonica and vocals), Gus Gotsis (drums and vocals) and Mike Bailey (bass and vocals). 

The album starts off with a rather smooth track entitled Take Your Time which is appropriately named since the slower pace really allows for the music of The Chicago Kingsnakes to work its way into your musical ear. There is an initial glimpse into the vocals of the band however shortly thereafter there is a really impressive glimpse into the instrumental sounds that the band can put out. The instrumentation is a pleasant musical glue that holds together the track well and from a performance perspective is performed with precision, clarity and unique sounds that are inventive and developed nicely. 

The best track on the album is So Cold in Chicago. Having been to The Windy City and since this band hails from Chicago, it seems as though this track would be the ideal song to warm up inside a cozy little pub with a pint of Goose Island beer in hand. With the lyrics singing about the cold winter air wrapping itself around Chicago, if you called Chicago home this would be the quintessential song to have playing around the house as a snow storm entered the city and the cold winter winds were whipping off of Lake Michigan. There is a nice hometown feel to the track and The Chicago Kingsnakes prove on this track why they are consistently dubbed one of Chicago’s top blues bands. 

Lefty is another great track that really focuses on those rich blues sounds that make blues music what it is. With some repetitive lyrics paired up side by side to guitar sounds that are wide ranging and descend and ascend just about as quickly as one can imagine there is a real symbiotic sound at work on this track. The foot-tapping and head-bobbing effect that blues music should have upon a listener comes out strongly on this track and there is a remarkable guitar rift at the end that really shakes things up nicely. 

The Chicago Kingsnakes have been a fixture upon the Chicago music scene for nearly three decades and their most recent release Blue Mosaic is a testament to why they have stayed musically relevant for so long. Blues music is often times not the most popular genre of music out there but this is likely due in large to the fact that people are hesitant to give it a shot. With an album like Blue Mosaic, The Chicago Kingsnakes have shown that blues music can be exciting and invigorating to listen to and more and more people should dive into the genre. 

Blue Mosaic is on the MusicKing Records label. The album was produced by James P. Anderson and was recorded at The Spot Studio.
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