Tony Janflone Jr. Live at the Blues Cafe
(YNOT Records)
Thursday August 3rd 2000
The tradition of the blues in American music has been an ever evolving genre. The blues has always been a music that is best heard live. Tony Janflone Jr. is Pittsburgh’s premier blues prophet. His new album‚ “Tony Janflone Jr. LIVE at the Blues Cafe‚” finds him and his band telling the story of the evolution of the blues. Tony and his band are seasoned players who sound fresh and sharp.
The opening cut “Something’s Got to Give‚” gets you in the groove with solid rockin’ from the band while Tony shows off his powerful voice. It’s really just the appetizer, but the horns are up‚ and the band goes to town. Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do?” is an old blues shuffle that goes down smooth till Tony kicks it with his guitar solo.
Here’s where you begin to notice that this guy is not only a commanding blues and rock singer but his guitar chops could blow most of the big guitar giants of today off of the stage. The instrumental ballad, “Wish You Didn’t Have to Go‚” is a dense blues meditation that hypnotizes. It pulls and releases with a grand sweep of guitar virtuosity: truly a compelling composition. The power of the music is evident in this recording when you hear the audience response . Not a bummer cut on the whole CD!