Fat Vinny & the Wiseguys - A Different Kind of Blues (2001)

Some bands have it all; an imposing front man who happens to be a first-class axe-man with an ability to write compelling, captivating material and a soulful, versatile voice to get the message across; a bass player that is tasteful, in the pocket, and capable of backing vocals that perfectly color the voice of the front man; and last, but certainly not least, probably one of the best all around drummers working in the area right now. On the heels of their astounding "The Blues You Can?t Refuse", Eric "Fat Vinny" Kelly, Randy Ketner and Mark Panek have bestowed upon us another great collection. The thing about this band is that the blues is a touchstone and baseline from which they ably explore other genres and musical styles. In addition to outstanding blues on charts like "2 to 4" The "Where You Been Look" and "One More Last Trip Down" there is the latin-tinged cover of Tom Waits's "Jockey Full of Bourbon" "Crabcake Sammich" and "Different Kind of Blues" all powered by Panek's great percussion work, the Rolling Stone flavored "Tumbling Down" and the fantastic, soulful "Time Was The Norfolk Southern Song". This CD stands for the proposition that . . .Can't Refuse wasn't a fluke and these guys, two years into their existence as a band, are a first-class outfit at the top of their game. Get the entire catalog (including this one) and see the Wiseguys live if you can. From the studio to the stage this band delivers.