Following Timothy Leary's precept, "You can be anyone this time around," Little Charlie and the Nightcats singer Rick Estrin has chosen to be a harp-playing hipster. He does a very good job. To my ears he sounds like a cross between Frank Zappa and Leon Redbone. Accompanied by Little Charlie Baty on guitar, Estrin (along with J. Hansen on drums, and Lorenzo Farrell on bass-along with a couple of horns and a piano) sings and blows harp on this latest Alligator release by Little Charlie and the Nightcats.
Playing a variety of blues/jazz styles, this all originals no-frills CD delivers the goods. I gleefully enjoyed the two instrumental tracks "Tag (You're It), and "Slap Happy." There are just not enough instrumentals anymore. Great, just great. Love to hear this kind of stuff.
The second track "Handle With Care" approaches the jazz classification with Estrin playing a nice chromatic harmonica and Baty improvising guitar licks.
A lot of influences and styles can be heard in this collection. I hear some Jimmy Reed, Little Walter, B.B. King, Louis Jordan amongst others. But make no mistake, the band sustains its own originality.
Lest I forget the namesake of the band, Little Charlie plays in a unique style, rarely falling back on clichéd licks like so many guitar players in this genre. He's not afraid to stretch out and go out on the limb to capture a unique feeling.
Buy the CD and become a new fan if you're not one already.
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