The Bob Lanza Blues Band - Kids Dogs & Crazy Women (2018)

Bob Lanza hails from New Jersey. This is his fifth studio recording and third for the Connor Ray Music label. His last album was 2016’s “It’s Time To Let Go”. Once an artist has full control of their music and has several successful recordings under their belt, he or she may decide to enlist a producer. Lanza has known Anthony Krizan since 1990. Lanza states “thru the years we crossed paths many times, as I watched his career as a performer and producer soar…I always thought about what doing a record with him would sound like”.

Krizan had been the lead guitarist for The Spin Doctors from 1994 thru 1996. He co-authored that band’s third album; and five of Krizan’s songs are included on the Spin Doctors greatest hits collection. After leaving the Spin Doctors Krizan’s songs began to appear on numerous artist albums, film soundtracks and television shows. The two guitarists eventually wound up on the same bill. At the end of the show, they jammed and sounded as if they had been together for years. “That day I asked if he’d be interested in recording us”. Shortly thereafter Lanza would bring his rhythm section to Krizan’s Sonic Boom Recording Studio in Raritan, N.J. the same studio that recorded Pat Travers and Robert Randolph.

As co-producers Lanza and Krizan gathered the current members of the band. Lanza, guitar and vocals; Krizan, guitar, vocals, drums and percussion; John Ginty, the keyboardist who had worked with Randolph as a member of The Family Band, and with Krizan on numerous other projects; and Lanza’s rhythm section of Dave Lockhart, bass; and Vin Mott, drums and harmonica.

Lanza has written four new songs including the title track featuring twin guitars with Krizan on slide; “Little Momma” with Mott on harp; “Not The Man I Used To Be” with a great solo from Lanza, and “Hey Baby”. He has also co-authored two more songs with Krizan including a tribute to the late harp master James Cotton called “Hey Cotton” once again featuring Mott.

Selected covers include “Walking After Midnight”, written by Alan Block and Donn Hecht, and the first hit single for Patsy Cline selling over a million copies in 1957. “Full Time Lover”, written by Frankie Scott and Frankie Lee James, was recorded by Little Frankie Lee and The Saxtons in 1964; and by the Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1979. Also from that same 1979 Thunderbirds recording session is Kim Wilson’s “Let Me In”.

“Every Side of Lonesome” is from Trudy Lynn, while “Problems” is from Little Mike Markowwitz.

Krizan says “Bobby Lanza is the real deal and a true bluesman, he plays guitar with fire and emotion; on top of that, his voice and songwriting abilities are stellar, as well. We tracked this record live with no studio tricks to masque the rawness of the session. You can feel the energy on the tracks and you can feel the band laying it down together in the room! We used all old-school recording equipment, like ‘60’s Neve pre-amps and Olympic modules and we used all vintage guitars and amplifiers!”

Krizan has captured Lanza at his old school best as they blend their swampy blues and roots music. This recording just screams to be heard. ~Richard Ludmerer