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		CHARLES “BIG DADDY” STALLINGS Blues Party Tai Jeria – 3867
	Charles “Big Daddy” Stallings describes his music as “Good time blues with a twist.” This South Carolina-born singer/songwriter/guitarist was raised in North Carolina and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. You will hear ultra catchy rhythms and magnificent tone from his guitar. Exuberant horns are a staple of his urbane band and provide the pulse for many songs. Alongside eight guests, his third CD was recorded with the six core members that comprise his Bluez Evolution Band. The 80-minute all-original disc plays and listens like a radio program. There are spoken introductions, gaps are absent between songs, and smooth transitions connect them all. It’s just as you’d expect to hear from an experienced disc jockey. On the lead off title song, Stallings enthusiastically declares, (“there is gonna be a thrill on the hill”), and you know this is going to be a serious traditional electric blues bash. This modern day Wang Dang Doodle song brings you face to face with all the folk and kin who will be attending the party. The harsh reality of (“hard work low pay”) farm life is revealed on the relaxed and personalized Down On The Farm. It’s not a life spent lounging on a veranda playing harp. Ironically, Mark Wenner’s hip phrasing harp is the star of the song which depicts Stallings’ cotton-picking youth. The multipurpose band performs more than electric blues. The infectious groove Swing 2010 is a swinging R&B instrumental used as their showcase. Clarence Ward III blasts his trumpet into the stratosphere while Joe Thomas’ sax solo is a killer. Carlos Johnson’s sax is classy and sexy while Jacky Harriston’s organ is whirling on The Lucky Number. These brass-touting artists give the famed New Orleans brass bands a run for the money. Sexual innuendo imaginatively arises in the lyrics more than once. On Horny Bee it’s in the form of a honey gun used to shoot honey. Here Leroy Flowers, Jr’s sweet lead guitar stings with penetrating notes that permeate the main melody. The lyrics are graphic enough on Old Dogs to determine Grandpa needs Viagra. Stallings’ vocals are the most expressive on the rockin’ She’s Gone. It’s good to hear them being stretched and challenged because overall they do not receive the same workout as his guitar receives. There is a tinny sound on Bill Pratt’s drum cymbal crashes. Russell Hayward has the better sounding and better played drums. Versatility stands out on Blues Party. Stallings and his band of revelers know how to play off each other while performing improvisations. They all prove themselves to be professional and experienced musicians. Whether by intent or accident, the variations in the songs seem natural. Yes, the blues songs are basic, and their melodies are repeated too many times, but the CD is what good independent music should be. Stallings will cause you to open your ears, sit up, and take notice. Many bands claim to combine soul, blues, and funk into their music. Stallings prefers to perform them separately. Best of all, he performs all styles equally well. Tim Holek A similar version of this review appeared in Living Blues Magazine issue 2001. A similar version of this review appeared in Living Blues Magazine issue 208 August 2010. Review copyright © by Tim Holek, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission.