[Harp-L] Great playing from a great player

[Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   Thanks Tom, Elizabeth, and Chuck for the kind words about Ron's
playing.  Some might be put-off by the diversity of tunes here; the covers
include songs by Captain Beefheart, Duke Ellington, and even something from
Walt Disney's "Pinocchio."  You really don't know what to expect from one
song to another.  There are gospel tunes, funk tunes, chitlin' circuit soul
tunes, jazz tunes, shuffles, slow blues, and something that might be called
"blues fusion."  If you ask Ron, he will tell you that "it all comes from
the same place."  For me, it makes for a good listen.
   Ron doesn't sing; most of the vocals are handled by one of Chicago's
best singers, Tad Robinson.  Tad takes the session to a different level, in
my opinion.  It would be like hiring Curtis Salgado or Rob Paparozzi to
sing on your CD.  The rest of the musicians are among Chicago's best and
busiest blues players.  Guys that go back decades with Ron.  The whole
thing was recorded in two days, one or two takes on each tune.  There is
nothing amateurish about it.  One of the major blues labels was interested
in it until they found out Ron had no intention of quitting his day job and
touring the country to promote the thing.  So he put it out himself.  The
good news is, he had a whole other CD's worth of material that he didn't
have the time to record.  So, if he moves this one, there should be a
second CD coming right behind it.

Mick Zaklan