Dickie James & The Blue Flames - The Blues Taste Good (2009)

chicago southside style blues/ guitar, harp, working man blues

Described by one reviewer as “those electrified blues masters”, Dicky James and the Blue Flames is one of the hottest blues bands touring the Midwest. They have been captivating audiences everywhere with their superb brand of smoking’ Chicago style blues.
The band is comprised of a group of tremendous players who hail from varied backgrounds. Dicky James, guitarist and chief vocalist, is the main song smith and has proven he knows the blues inside and out. He finds his inspiration in everyday experiences and depends on the Blue Flames to bring that vision to life. He learned to play listening to blues and Motown records and from age of 18 has played across the nation in various rock and blues bands. Through the years he has taken the stage with such notable acts as Rod Piazza, Big Daddy Kinsey, and Koko Taylor.
Harp wizard Bob Freeze has studied the playing of the greats and has developed a nuanced and seamless style which has become the “horn section” of the Blue Flames.
John Beeson who, ironically, owns one of the nation’s premier guitar shops, plays the Hammond organ and has rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in music.
Mark Ford is a jazz trained bassist whose many years experience in big bands adds an unmistakable swing feel to the band.
Will Cox started drumming to music of the British Invasion and, after many years on the road, has transformed that rock sensibility into the perfect blues driver.
Their first album, ‘The Blues Taste Good’, called “brilliant and timeless” in one review, put the world on notice this band was for real. But the breakthrough came in 2011 when they released their second record, ’Hard Rain’. Taking it’s title from a rainy pilgrimage to Memphis by motorcycle, this record shot to #1 in the nation in the blues category and has garnered rave reviews throughout the industry as well as world wide air play. They are currently beginning work on their third, as yet untitled, cd.
Having said all that you really can’t grasp the power of Dicky James and the Blue Flames until you hear them live at such venues as the Slippery Noodle Inn, the Crossroads Blues Fest, the Players Pub, or at the Kickapoo Kick Festival where they won the battle of the bands. Dicky is an unparalleled performer who never fails to command the room as he glides through the audience displaying his showmanship and stellar guitar playing.