Rick Moore & Mr. Lucky

Live in the USA
LMS Music 901386
(Four Star Review)

This is the third Bremen, Germany MRL Release from contemporary electric rock 'n' bluesman Rick Moore and his wailing Mr Lucky quartet, featuring Sammy Stafford on buffeting, rowdy slide guitar, co-produced by keyboard meister Tim Hinkley.

Recorded live at Nashville's jumping Bourbon Street Boogie Bar, mid- May of 2001, it showcases some of Moore's best road- tested songs from his earlier two releases. Southern juke joint blues a la George Thorogood and heaps of rockin' Memphis 1960's soul abound as Moore and company (Jerry (Snake) King on bass and Mike Caputy on drums round out the quartet) captivate with pulse- quickening originals like the opening Texas boogie "House Rockin' " and workingman blues of "Make Lovin' You My Business" as well as the occasional cover - the crews extended workout on Albert King's boisterous "I Wanna Get Funky" would make ZZ Top jealous. Stafford's third - rail lively guitar playing reaches the boiling stage, frequently goaded on by Moore's raspy deep-throated vocals.

A handful of slow burners demonstrates yet another facet of the quintet's talent. Both "Let Me Down Easy" and anecdotal "Chicken House Blues" testify while things slow down even more on a piano-driven, New Orleans-accented cover of Randy Newman's philosophical drinking ('whole lotta medicine") classic "Guilty".

Look no further for the blue-eyed blues at it's best.

Gary von Tersch
Big City Blues Magazine, Detroit, MI