Kid Ramos Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
For his fourth solo release, and third on the Evidence label, the Fabulous Thunderbirds' guitarist, Kid Ramos, once again calls in some high-profile blues friends for assistance. Instead of last album's guitarists and jump blues horns, this time Ramos sticks with harpists/vocalists to provide the momentum on a set of relatively stripped-down, greasy blues. He's also the only guitarist on the sessions, which makes this a spotlight for his picking as well as his bandleading abilities. Harmonica aces Rick Estrin (Little Charlie & the Nightcats), Paul de Lay, Lynwood Slim, Johnny Dyer, James Harman (who only plays on one of his three tracks and sings on the others), and Charlie Musselwhite, along with Rod Piazza, all contribute. The leadoff title cut, an instrumental that sounds like it was left over from his last horn-infused West Coast album, is the one exception. The sessions were cut in two days, which gives them a raw, not quite primal edge that adds to the gritty nature of the recording. Although the original intent was to perform exclusively covers, nearly all the harp-playing guests brought in their own original material. Just a handful of interpretations remain: Willie Dixon's "I Don't Care Who Knows"; an obscure Lightnin' Slim track, "Mean Ol' Lonesome Train"; an old uncredited Excello side, "Rich Man's Woman"; and Bobby Blue Bland's "Hold Me Tenderly." It sure sounds like this was one big part, as each guest plays with a relaxed gusto, whipping off harp lines with nonchalant intensity. Ramos' tough yet flexible guitar fills the holes and takes the lead just often enough so the listener knows whose album it is. Otherwise he's content to leave the majority of the spotlight to his high-profile guests, who turn in sterling performances. While few of their original tunes sound drastically different from standard blues fare, the ensemble playing and electrified atmosphere adds a palpable excitement to the tracks. The various vocals also infuse a diverse feel to the album, with Ramos' guitar and presence being the thread that holds it together. The closing "Harmonica Hangover" features Estrin and Musselwhite on what seems to be an improvised duet, with both harp men discussing the proceedings and other guests, as well as trading licks on an appropriately upbeat shuffle. It's a fitting finale to an album that works because of the loosely structured environment that Ramos provides, meshed with the remarkable talents of his talented contributors. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
'West Coast House Party'
Release Date 8/29/2000
Tracks 16
Label Evidence
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What The Critics Say
The third release from The Fabulous Thunderbirds' muscular lead guitarist is less a solo album than a forum for the obviously well-connected Kid Ramos to host a congregation of some of the country's best swing-influenced talent as they blow through an hour of prime West Coast jump blues. Between the ever-present horns and a long list of lead vocalists, including Lynwood Slim, Duke Robillard, Big Sandy, the Thunderbirds' Kim Wilson, and ex-employer James Harman, trading off the spotlight, it's tough for Ramos to assert himself as a guitarist with a distinctive sound amongst the excitement of all the guest appearances. Interestingly, the star also invites like-minded guitarists such as Little Charlie Baty, Rusty Zinn, and one of the genre's founding fathers, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown to his party, further diluting the effect of his own contributions. That minor complaint aside, this is a consistently exciting and joyously well-performed disc of upbeat jump blues, played with a one-take intensity that's contagious. The musicians sound like they're having a blast and that infectious feeling translates to the music, as this gifted crew runs through relatively obscure covers of Amos Milburn, Ray Brown, and Dave Bartholomew tunes, along with a handful of originals that sound as if they were written in the '50s -- the golden age of this swinging sound. "Real Gone Lover," featuring Kim Wilson's vocal and powerful harp, is the only track where the horns sit out and the sound is stripped down to a rugged trio, providing the listener a chance to hear Kid Ramos tear through a tune without regard to the tight charts that are this album's feature attraction. The extensive 12-page booklet not only offers detailed track information -- a must with a project that includes so many different musicians and soloists on each tune -- but provides a capsule history of jump blues, adding immensely to the enjoyment of the disc. Ultimately, you won't learn much more about Kid Ramos' substantial talents as anything but a terrific bandleader and the guy you'd want in charge of the guest list to your next shindig. But it's to his credit that he selflessly hands over the focus on his own release to his talented backing band and guest stars, culminating in a winning project, astonishingly free of egos from any of its participants. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With his second album (self-titled, as if it were his debut), Kid Ramos turns in a solid set of greasy roadhouse blues that hits harder than most contemporary blues albums from the '90s. Ramos not only knows how to select his material (all 15 songs are covers, but only "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy" is overly familiar) and can play all variations of blues, but he keeps the record loose and raw, never polishing the sound too much and letting the music breathe. The result is a thoroughly engaging, entertaining set that sucks you in with "Dead Love," keeps your interest through the extraordinary version of James Harman's "Walk-Around Telephone Blues" (the writer contributes harp here), and doesn't let go until the end. An appealing effort that establishes Ramos as a worthy artist in his own right even after years of winning audiences as a member of Roomful of Blues, the Red Devils and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Two Hands One Heart'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 16
Label Black Top
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