Blues From the Great Northwest!!

This CD is a modern-day super session!  A kickass collection of Blues, Swing & Funky Soul from some of Portland, Oregon's finest players!!
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 Recorded live all on one rainy night in Portland (imagine that), this CD represents just a small portion of this huge well of talent and hopefully is just the beginning of what will become a series that will bring “Blues From The Great NW” to the rest of the world.

Blues enthusiasts will be sure to recognize the great Paul Delay master of the harmonica and vocalist extraordinare. While displaying the best of tradition and finesse Paul is one of the few Harpist’s who have also truly created his own cutting edge phrasing, sound, style and flavor that has yet seen rivalry.

Dave “Long Distance” Kahl also an Oregonian, has been nominated for blues bassist of the year by the Cascade Blues association at least five times. A staple in the Paul Delay Band for 3 years he is never sick at sea and by far one of everyone’s favorite bassists to play with in town.  He actually listens to blues for enjoyment!

Originally hailing from Eugene OR, Aaron “AC” Porter , has been an integral part of the Portland blues scene for 24 years. His influences are clearly BB and the likes of Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl & Hollywood Fats. Though many guitarists aspire to these great players and the high standards they set, few come as close as Porter to obtaining the intensity they project.

Long time CA transplant Suburban Slim has been in Oregon since 1981. During this time he has astonished crowds with his unbelievably soulful voice while baffling other guitarists with his crushing, mellifluous and seemingly endless ideas on his instrument. Phil Wagner aka Suburban Slim is a true modern day guitar slinger/songwriter with soul!

Unbelievably Marco Savo has never been showcased on any recordings until now. Originally from Pacific Grove, CA, Marco’s self-taught Guitar approach stems from a world of stone cold jazz and the purest of blues. Swinging with an innate sense of rhythm, time and taste he is fueled by influences such as Jr. Watson, Chris Cain, Tiny Grimes & Cannonball Adderlay. Truly a master of his six string instrument and equally talented on four, here he works double duty taking on the bass chair for The Suburban Slim Band.

Also on the harp and vocals is Jim Wallace. Originally from Newport CA, he is heavily steeped in Chicago’s electric blues of the 50’s and 60’s. All would agree that Wallace is Portland’s finest embodiment of the great Little Walter, George “Harmonica” Smith & Walter Horton to name a few. Also featured here are his skills as a seasoned songwriter.

Bott has been a fixture in the international blues scene for 23 years.  His long term stints include Mark Hummel (2 years), Rod Piazza (10 years), and The Fabulous Thunderbirds (10 years).  He has been on over 60 recordings, including the pivotal Live at BB Kings with Rod Piazza.

Check out what people have been saying
about Jimi's latest release:

Look out Memphis & Chicago, Portland, Oregon has one hell of a blues scene.  Bott and Paid For! features Jimi and some of Portlands finest in a live CD showcasing that city's blues ties.  One thing is for sure, When you put Jimi, Paul Delay, AC Porter, Marco Savo, Suburban Slim Dave Kahl and Jim Wallace together you can be guaranteed to rock you world to some of the finest blues this side of the delta.
--- Art Tipaldi

Whe one thinks of blues meccas, the heydays of Chcago and Memphis immediately come to mind.  Then there were revivals in San Francisco and London in the late Sixties...Austin a decade later.  But as Bott and Paid For! proves, fans need to point their next blues cruise in the direction of POrtland, Oregon, where a jumping scene has been brewing for years!
---Dan Forte

Jimi Bott’s last CD was the excellent “Cheap Thrills” – a  (mostly) live set that featured blues big-hitters like Rod Piazza, Fabulous Thunderbirds and Jr Watson.  “Bott & Paid For!” only boasts one artist who would fit into that category, Paul delay – but don’t let that put you off as Marco Savo, Jim Wallace and Suburban Slim may lack the big-name status – but – their talent is undeniable and the music is pure class.

As on “Cheap Thrills”, Jimi Bott gives a master-class in blues drumming – enhancing every track with his innate sense of timing and rhythm, and his ability to provide the featured artist with the perfect canvas on which to lay down their personal vision of the blues.

This set was recorded live, in one evening, at Duff’s Garage, Portland, Oregon, and is divided into four sets – one for each of the featured front-men.

The first set features Suburban Slim (Phil Wagner) – an artist blessed with a deeply soulful voice and an eccentrically manic guitar style that is displayed in all it’s glory on “Jumpin’ With Jimi” – a slab of “blues-surf” that echoes with twangy reverberating guitar licks.  “Your Eyes (Give You Away” is a vibrant meld of old-fashioned rock’n’roll and blues replete with wild guitar – whilst (OH) I’m Slippin’ In” is a slinky shuffle laced with twangy string-bending and deLay’s organ-like harp.

Set 2 introduces harp player Jim Wallace who opens Little Walter’s “Blue Midnight” with a “Reveille” like harp intro – his moody, fat-toned harp complemented to perfection by beautifully understated guitar from Marco Savo and AC Porter.  “Kiss Me Or Cuss Me” and James Harman’s “My First Crime” are both Harman inspired stompers replete with moaning harp and Kid Ramos inflected guitar – “Rockinitis” does exactly that, Wallace’s Billy Boy Arnold styled harp underpinned by Latinesque guitar and drums – whilst “The Alchemist” features a superb extended drum intro from Bott.

The Third Set features Paul delay, whose unique harmonica style is always instantly recognizable and an undeniable pleasure to listen to.  Delay opens with Jimmy Reed’s “(Oh Baby) You Don’t Have to Go”, transforming it into a soulful blues masterpiece oozing with fluid, inventive harp, hot guitar and sleazy blues vocals.  “Leave Me Alone” is an anguished deep blues replete with cascading piano and stunning interplay between shimmering guitar and melancholy harp – whilst “(Funky) Tin Pan Alley” is a superb blues that does exactly as it “says on the tin”.

Set 4  is sub-titled the Jam and is billed as Marco Savo & Friends these being Paul delay, Suburban Slim, Dave Kahl and of course Jimi Bott.  The band plays two instrumentals “Bott & Paid For! (A Tribute To Tiny (Grimes))” and “Toothache”.  These are both swinging instrumentals featuring the smooth jazz inflected fretwork of Savo and the more cutting edged intensity of Slim allied to deLay’s superb harp which melds the influences of Larry Adler and George Smith – bringing a fine end to a highly recommended set.

Roll on “Cheap Thrills Vol 2”.

Rating 10

--- Mick Rainsford, Blues in Britain