Fresh from receiving four 2007 Blues Music Award nominations and an electrifying live performance at the Blues Foundation’s premiere event in Memphis this past May, Nick Moss & the Flip Tops follow up their 2006 CD, Live at Chan’s, with an amazing two-CD set of Chicago blues showcasing not only the band’s incredible talents as performers and songwriters, but also their tremendous versatility. In addition to Nick Moss on guitar and vocals, the group includes Willie Oshawny on keyboards (who also switches over to bass on four tracks and second guitar on another), Gerry Hundt on harp and vocals (who also plays bass, rhythm guitar and mandolin on the album) and Bob Carter on drums.
While staying true to the classic Chicago post-war blues sound, Nick and the band also create new grooves that advance the style to new heights with their creativity and energy. “That’s how I’ve always been,” says Nick Moss in the album’s liner notes. “All along, I’ve been trying to do my records that way. I live in Chicago and I was taught by the guys that played Chicago blues,” he adds, referring to the time he spent wood-shedding with the likes of Jimmy Rogers, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Jimmy Dawkins and others.
Adding to that authenticity on Play It ’Til Tomorrow is the addition of special guest Eddie Taylor, Jr., son of the legendary Eddie Taylor, whose guitar work was a major component of all the great recordings from the incomparable Jimmy Reed. Eddie Taylor, Jr. plays second guitar on five cuts of the new album, and also inadvertently gave the CD its title when he continued playing after “Late Night Saint” had ended and voiced the opinion that he could “play that mother f*#ker ’til tomorrow!” (As captured on the “hidden track” at the end of Program One.)
The first disc of the double CD set features the band at their most rollicking Chicago blues sound, with some killer originals wrapped around three cover songs: Floyd Jones’ “Rising Wind,” Luther “Snake” Johnson’s “Woman Don’t Lie” and Lefty Dizz’s “Bad Avenue.” The revelation for many people in this package will be the second disc, which mostly unveils an “unplugged” side of the band that creates a completely different level of blues previously unheard from this band. On that CD, Barrelhouse Chuck guests on piano for one song, and Gerry Hundt demonstrates the prowess on mandolin he further explores on his own album.
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If Nick Miss & The Flip Tops are just hitting stride now, which certainly seems to be the case, the future surely holds an awful lot for this road-tested band of Chicago Blues warriors. Aside from appearing in support or production roles on countless recordings by other artists, Nick Moss now tallies his sixth effort under his own banner; a two-disc set that smolders, smokes and blisters from top to bottom. The band here remains mostly unchanged from the last effort with the exception of Bob Carter who now handles the driving backbeats. The musical communication is more palpable this time around - and that's not lighthearted praise as Nick's last CD was done in a 'live' setting. Gerry Hundt, a jack-of-all-blues-trades, still delivers rhythm guitar, harmonica, bass and mandolin with Willie Oshawny remaining on keyboards and occasional bass. As to be expected, Nick and the boys mine the differing veins of Windy City blues tackling three covers; Woman Don't Lie, Bad Avenue and Rising Wind, but it's the gritty originals where The Flip Tops display a truly gorgeous patina. Mistakes From The Past, Lyin' For Profit, Tend To Your Business, Peculiar Feeling and Too Many Miles are solid, self-penned gems from a mature songwriter while a pair of instrumentals, The Rump Bump and Grease Fire have enough friction to ignite. Nick's guitar playing nods to mentors Jimmy Dawkins and Jimmy Rogers with more than a few tips of the hat to Magic Slim but Moss is no slavish six-string imitator. You can marvel at his harp playing, too, which is as tough as a blast of wind off Lake Michigan during the cold winter months. Guests on the first disc include Eddie Taylor Jr. on guitar with Nick's wife, Kate, taking guitar or bass duties over a few cuts. Part two of the program marks what Nick often refers to as 'the Smithsonian set' during performances where the band pays tribute to the rough-and-tumble sounds of the 1940s and '50s. Aside from an absolutely beautiful version of I Shall Not Be Moved, the second disc is packed with all original material and just as stunning as the first. Another Life Is Gone sounds like a left-over diamond found in the Chess vaults while It's Written In The Bible, Married Woman Blues and Wild Imagination could easily have been found in a crumpled cardboard box half-filled with brittle 78s on Maxwell Street fifty years in the past. Got My Mail Today finds Nick and Barrelhouse Chuck side-by-side for a piano/guitar duet not unlike what Tampa Red and Big Maceo laid down six decades ago. The alternate take of It's Written In The Bible pairs Moss' guitar and vocal with Gerry's harmonica for an acoustic trip that blossomed in the Delta and landed on the doorstep of the tenement building where Muddy Waters lived. For those familiar with Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, this two-disc set is loaded with the exceptional craftsmanship you've come to know. For those who have yet to experience what Nick and the band can do, you'll come away with a newfound respect for one of the finest blues bands to ever set foot outside of Chicago. There's no denying that Play It 'Til Tomorrow is a modern-day gem!
– © 2008 by Craig Ruskey
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"...from the first hard-rocking chorus of "Late Night Saint", the opening number on disc one here, it's clear that guitarist/vocalist Nick Moss is going for broke on this one - full steam ahead, and damn the consequences.... the level of energy and commitment the principals bring to it should make it appealing to a wide spectrum of blues lovers, not just dyed-in-the-wool postwar purists." (David Whiteis)
- Living Blues (Oct/Nov 2007)
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"Moss' music evokes classic Chicago in a way few contemorary artists achieve... an extra-long set with an encore that goes straight on 'til morning."
- Blues Revue (Dec/Jan 2008)
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"The title suits it admirably, because, especially for fans of this amplified delta sound, the title’s implied act is effortless. The 28 songs, over two hours of brilliant music, can be played repeatedly right into the next day. Take my word for it; I’ve done it."
- Modern Guitars (November 2007)
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"From a slew of personal bests, Moss and company check in with a twofer that showcases their well known electric side and gives insight on the second disc to their unplugged side. Not content to sit still on past glories, no matter how recent, Moss has solidified his chops to the point that he's ready to take on tomorrow and his new music reflects it. With a slick tip of the hat, he rounds up the son of Jimmy Reed's ace sidekick to slide in and you can see how a lot of stuff really does run in bloodlines. A thoroughly kick ass set that never fails to deliver the blues goods"
- Midwest Record Recap (October 9, 2007)
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