NEW ORLEANS, CHICAGO & SANTA MONICA

Tony Peyser
Mirror contributing writer

   The Hoodoo Kings are Eddie Bo, Raful Neal and Rockin’ Tabby Thomas. They’re three black Louisiana blues vets who adorn their debut album cover in flashy threads, berets, hats and sunglasses. They look incredibly happy, like every night for them is Mardi Gras. 
   The Hoodoo Kings kick things off memorably with an effortlessly cool cover of “I Fought The Law,” a hit for The Bobby Fuller Four back in the 1960s. If The Hoodoo Kings fought the law, they’d win. What The Texas Tornados did to Tex-Mex, these guys do to swamp blues. And when they sing “I Am The Hoodoo King,” you’ll happily kneel and declare your unworthiness to this trio of R&B royalty who may have been mistreated but never felt defeated. 
   Another electric blues album with the tank gassed up and ready to roll is Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson’s Talkin’ About Soul. Johnson used to play with Muddy Waters and it’s easy to see why. The title track practically drags you out to the nearest dance floor and orders you start strutting your stuff. 
   The next song is Johnson’s adept cover of Ray Charles’ “I’ve Got A Woman” that would no doubt make Brother Ray appreciatively flash one of those trademark ear-to-ear-grins. The third song is the smoky “Somebody Have Mercy.” When Johnson and his back-up girls start shouting “Yeah!” at one another, you know you’re in the presence of a master bluesman. 
   David Maxwell, who’s played with John Lee Hooker and Bonnie Raitt, livens up things considerably with his keyboard wizardry, especially on the piano. 
   If you’re looking for some new rock and roll wizardry, check out Rick Ellis. There’s no shortage of passion in the Santa Monica-based Ellis’ singing. He’s also capable of some very appealing vocals and guitar playing which falls somewhere between The Eagles and Tom Petty. On his self-titled debut CD, there’s a lot to like. 
   The rocking opening track “Cecil Cassandra” is about a stripper who, if she were in New Jersey, would be pole-dancing for Tony Soprano at The Bada Bing. Ellis can also downshift several gears with tunes like the quiet and melancholy “Alienation Blue.” But my favorite cut is “Jesus Ain’t Gonna Beg” which hooked me just with the title. Ellis hits this 1970s, album rock-feeling song out of the park with crunching guitars, a great hook and smoothly deployed back-up vocals complimenting his lead. 
   CDNow has The Hoodoo Kings and Talkin’ About Soul for $13.49 and Amazon has Rick Ellis for $15.99. 
   The Goofy Band Name Of The Week is ...Nostradumbass.