Lil' Shaky and the Tremors
Aftershock CD
Lil' Shaky & the Tremors is a side project from Chris Vachon, ace guitarist (also producer and bandleader) of the legendary Roomful of Blues. Chris rounded up some musician friends and recorded some classic songs, resulting in their first release, AFTERSHOCK.
AFTERSHOCK is a carefully selected collection of R&B, Blues and R&R tunes. It’s a tribute to some of the finest writers and performers that belong to those genres.
| 1. | I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled And Crazy | |||
| 2. | You're The Kind Of Trouble | |||
| 3. | Why Are People Like That | |||
| 4. | Grandma's Hands | |||
| 5. | I Love The Life I Live | |||
| 6. | Slipped Tripped And Fell In Love | |||
| 7. | I Only Have Love | |||
| 8. | I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me) | |||
| 9. | You're Welcome, Stop On By | |||
| 10. | It's All Over Now |
Click on the following link to hear some samples from AFTERSHOCK.
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=lil%27%20shaky%20and%20the%20tremors
I'm here to tell you, this record is kickin' it! With excellent playing and soulful singing, there's not a wrong note anywhere. Along with Chris and his fabulous guitar, the Tremors are Ed Wright (no, not OUR Eddie Wright!) on bass and vocals, Jeff Ceasrine on keys and congas, and drummer Larr Anderson. They get plenty of help from their friends. Brenda Bennett sings lead on "You're The Kind Of Trouble," and, with DD Bastos, sings background on several cuts. Mike Antunes plays tenor sax on "You're Welcome, Stop On By." Mike Rand blows harp on 2 songs. Chris Boyd plays pedal steel, and Ed Vallee plays slide on one song each. Also, the Gospel Love Tones (Walter Cooper, Steve Cooper, and Kenny Haywood) and the Naked Horns (Jaime Rodrigues, baritone sax; Robert DeCurtis, tenor sax; Mark Legualt, alto sax; Steve DeCurtis, trumpet; and Josh Kane, trombone) turn up on various cuts. As previously stated, not a wrong note anywhere!
The 10 songs, all covers, are a mix of Rock & Roll, Blues and R & B. All are expertly rendered, of course. My favorites are the opener, "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled And Crazy," Willie Mitchell's "I Only Have Love," and 2 from Bobby Womack; "You're Welcome, Stop On By," and the closer, a reworking of "It's All Over Now," most famously covered by the Rolling Stones.
It's obvious Lil' Shaky & the Tremors had a ball recording "Aftershock." This disc is definitely worth a listen. A tour might be in the works- hope they make it to Florida! - Conrad Sewer for TheSuncoast Blues Society newsletter, the Twelve Bar Rag
