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February 25, 2010

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Featured Blues Review 3 of 5

Tip of the Top -

Depot Street Blues

Delta King Records

http://myspace.com/tipofthetop

12 tracks/48:37

Hailing from San Jose, Tip of the Topis a quartet of blues musicians with plenty of experience. Guitarist JonLawton released several finerecordings in the 90’s as the leader of Little Jonny & the Giants. He alsowas a major contributor to theexcellent release last year fromAlabama Mike, “Day to Day”. Therhythm section – Frank De Rose on bass, and Carlos Velasco on drums – have spent decades supporting musicians like Chris Cain, Rusty Zinn and Kenny BlueRay. Aki Kumar may be a relative newcomer on the Bay area blues scene but hisexciting harmonica playing has been featured in the Kid Anderson Band. Lawton andKumar share the lead vocal responsibilities.

Their debut recording features three Lawton originals and a collection of covers thatincludes four songs penned by Little Walter. The band can play with a sense of urgency, as they do on the un-credited “Wait Baby” with its classic Muddy Water’ssound, or shuffle along at an easy pace like the take of “Got to Move On”. Velasco isa master of rhythm, consistently laying down a propulsive beat that always supplies asense of swing to the proceedings. Lawton has always been a fine slide guitar player and shows his mastery of the Elmore James sound on the rockin’ instrumental “DepotStreet Shuffle”. Another highlight is “Stranger Blues”, with an earnest vocal fromLawton and more outstanding slide guitar. But Kumar steals the show with his