Matty T. Wall: “Transpacific Blues Vol. 1” (2019) CD Review

On Matty T. Wall’s latest release, Transpacific Blues Vol. 1, the Australian blues vocalist and guitarist offers good, vibrant renditions of some well-known blues numbers, and is joined on most tracks by special blues guests, including folks like Eric Gales and Kid Ramos. The band backing Matty is made up of Ric Whittle on drums, and Stephen Walker on bass. In the disc’s liner notes, Matty T. Wall provides some brief notes on why each song was chosen. These are songs you most likely are familiar with, as they’ve been covered a lot, but here they are given a fresh energy. And the album features a whole lot of great guitar work.

The disc opens with a good, pulsing rendition of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom,” this track featuring Dave Hole. My friends and I first learned about John Lee Hooker through his appearance in The Blues Brothers, where he performs this song. I love the way Matty T. Wall approaches this song, with an enthusiasm you feel shooting out of the stereo speakers. The guitars shine, for sure, but I am also really fond of Ric Whittle’s work on drums, which gives the song something of a lighter vibe and keeps it moving forward. That’s followed by “Hi-Heel Sneakers,” a song written and originally recorded by Robert Higgenbotham (though under the name Tommy Tucker). This version by Matty T. Wall features a damn good groove, different from other versions I’ve heard, with more nice stuff on drums. This is a version that might get you dancing. Eric Gales joins him on guitar on this one, and the guitar has a joyful sound. The guys jam a bit on this track, helping to give it a party-like atmosphere and vibe.

Kid Ramos, whom you probably know from his work in The Fabulous Thunderbirds, joins Matty T. Wall on “Quicksand,” a song recorded by Guitar Slim in the 1950s and by Albert Collins in the 1980s. It is one of those classic blues songs about being treated poorly by a woman. The guitar feels like it’s hopping at times on this track, and shouting at other times, wonderful stuff. Of course, that cool bass line sets the tone. This is one of my favorite tracks. “They tell me love is like quicksand/Can’t stop when you’re sinking down.” That’s followed by another song that was recorded by Albert Collins, “She’s Into Something,” though more famously recorded by Muddy Waters. It was written by Carl Wright. There is plenty of exciting work on guitar on this track, as Walter Trout (whom you might know from his work in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers) joins the band. There is also a lively vocal performance. This is a seriously enjoyable track.

“Stormy Monday” is the album’s first track to not feature a special guest. But that doesn’t make the track any less special, as Matty T. Wall delivers a fine rendition of the T-Bone Walker song, his guitar humming with passion and soul. And what a vocal performance! Listen to him hold onto the word “Lord” in the line “Lord have mercy.” That moment ought to grab you by the throat and make you pay attention. And Stephen Walker’s bass is holding court in a land so deep, you feel no one could reach up to taste sunlight from there. So delicious. And then that guitar work is just fantastic. This is a track that just gets better and better. You should definitely make a point of checking it out. That’s followed by “Born Under A Bad Sign,” a song I’ve been digging since I heard the Cream version when I was in junior high. Kirk Fletcher joins Matty T. Wall on this track, and there is a lot of excellent guitar work. But for me the bass is at the heart of this version. Then we get a strong take on “I’m Tore Down,” this track featuring the trio without any special guest musicians. The album concludes with “Crossroads,” another song that I first heard done by Cream. This version certainly owes something to that recording, but Matty T. Wall puts his own spin and touches on it. There are no special guests on this track.

CD Track List

1. Boom Boom
2. Hi-Heel Sneakers
3. Quicksand
4. She’s Into Something
5. Stormy Monday
6. Born Under A Bad Sign
7. I’m Tore Down
8. Crossroads

Transpacific Blues Vol. 1 was released on October 18, 2019. I am looking forward to hearing Vol. 2.