Album Notes

“If you’re uneasy about the future of the blues, you’ll find hope in Nick Moss.”
—Guitar One Magazine

Fans of Chicago Blues torchbearer Nick Moss will be thrilled with this long-awaited and eagerly-anticipated live release. The 76-minute set showcases Moss’ strengths as bandleader, musician, and songwriter, as he and his “top-shelf Flip Top combo” burn through their celebrated originals as well as some choice, time-tested (but not overdone) covers. It’s true ensemble playing at its finest. The evening is made extra special by the guest appearance of Moss’ friend and fellow musician Monster Mike Welch, who lends his own style of guitar virtuosity to three tracks.

Nick shares the story of how the recording came about in the CD’s liner notes:

Well, here it is, a “live” CD! Many fans have asked me to put one out over the last few years. Everything came together with the help of some blues fans from the East Coast: Bob McLaren and Roy Souza. They had seen my band on many occasions at different venues (Buddy Guy’s, the Chicago Blues Festival, and at the Handy Awards in Memphis, among others) and were a few of the many who had expressed their interest in a live CD.

At the 2005 Chicago Blues Festival, Bob and Roy approached me with a proposition about doing a live recording the next time I came to Rhode Island. They explained that they had a very good mobile recording unit run by their friend Bob Sloane, who I had just met because they brought him to Chicago to see me play! After talking with the guys, I decided to go ahead and do it.

This CD was recorded on the evening of July 14th, 2005, at Chan’s Eggroll & Jazz in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. This is a venue with an impressive
history of great live Jazz and Blues shows for over thirty years! I invited my friend Monster Mike Welch to come out and sit in with us since he lives in nearby Boston. Mike agreed, and played some really great stuff! My band consisted of Gerry Hundt, who has been in the band over two years now (and recorded with me on Sadie Mae) on bass, guitar, and harmonica; Victor Spann (who toured most of 2005 with me and also played on Sadie Mae) on drums; and Willie Oshawny (who I’ve toured with on and off for ten years and have known for fifteen) on piano, organ, and bass.

I wanted to make sure that the CD reflected the spontaneity of our live performances. I’ve been blessed with an extremely talented band; each one of us is a multi-instrumentalist and has no problem switching it up during our shows! We have had nothing but compliments from our audiences after they see how the guys and I take turns on different instruments as we did on this particular night. I never have a set list and rarely know what song I’m going to do next. Instead, I rely on my love for this music and the knowledge that my band and I have of the genre to carry us through the night! Sure, I always have material from my past CDs to fall back on, but as a blues lover first and a musician second, I would rather hear a band play songs that I’ve never heard them do before! After all, you can always hear them do your favorite song just by putting on the CD. —NICK MOSS