Here’s a dose of classic r&b to chase your blues away.

Jay Willie has teamed up with James Montgomery on a new CD, CADILLAC WALK, which rocks from beginning to end. The veteran bluesmen are joined by Paul Opalach (bass, keyboards) and Bobby T Torello (drums) on this Zoho Roots release. Lee Ann Lovelace and Kyle Mangold contribute backing vocals. Together these hard-driving, jaunty musicians have a ball investigating such familiar tunes as “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” “Eatin’ Dry Onions” and “Mean Town Blues.”
   

   
The same high spirits invigorate such lesser-known tunes as “Three Cool Cats” (by Lieber & Stoller) and “Give Me One Reason” (by Tracy L. Chapman). They might be minor works but you’d never know it from the way Willie and Montgomery attack them, with maximum effort and enthusiasm.

The title track, “Cadillac Walk,” was written by Moon Martin, a pop artist and composer. Montgomery, on vocals and harp, has nothing but praise for his girlfriend’s sexy moves: “My baby’s got the Cadillac walk,” he boasts, over a thumping beat. Montgomery also excels on “Detroit Blues,” a sardonic ditty about his home town. Don’t bring a woman here, he cautions, because someone will surely make a move and “take her away from you.”

Willie excels on vocals and slide guitar on this CD, especially on “Montgomery Boogie,” the funky tune he wrote for himself.

There’s much joy, heat and pizzazz on CADILLAC WALK, making it the party album of the year.

(Zohomusic.com)