Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2002
Time:61:22 + 66:30
Size:141,5 MB + 153,1 MB
Label:Horizons Recprds
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock/Mix
Art:Front
Tracks Listing:
CD1
1. Barker's Voice - 0:32
2. Mister Evil - 4:53
3. Living In The Ghetto - 4:03
4. Before Recording - 0:22
5. The Way You Treated Me - 3:48
6. Street Choir - 1:03
7. You're Takin' Up Another Man's Place - 4:43
8. Keep Your Head Up - 4:49
9. Johnny Going To - 1:19
10. Mama's Pit - 4:55
11. The Thrill Is Gone - 7:12
12. Take Me To The River - 4:38
13. Mercedes Benz - 1:55
14. Little Wing - 5:08
15. What Should I Do - 5:09
16. Rock Me Baby - 6:46
CD2
1. Introduction - 0:23
2. Let The Good Time Roll - 4:04
3. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind - 5:38
4. Down Home Blues - 6:02
5. Hoochie Coochie Woman - 5:03
6. Piece Of My Heart - 4:19
7. Dr. Feelgood - 3:22
8. Scuttle Buttin' - 2:59
9. The Sky Is Crying - 5:27
10. Night Time Is The Right Time - 3:45
11. I'm Not Ashamed To Sing The Blues - 8:11
12. Born In Chicago - 7:28
13. A Good Fool Is Hard To Find - 4:05
14. Baby I Love You - 5:38
Big Fat Mama’s became Mama’s Pit in 1997, with singer Barbara Vulso as frontwoman. The band made their live debut at the Nacaro Blues and Castle San Piero Festival in Rome. Without wishing to diminish the contributions of the other band members, the Italian group's trump cards are the aforementioned singer Barbara Vulso and guitarist Alessio Menconi, who has been associated with Billy Cobham, Gary Husband, Danny Gottlieb, and Paole Conti. Mama’s Pit's keyboardist was Federico Basso, the bass was played by Danilo Parodi, and the drummer was Salvatore Cammilleri (also known for his work with Zucchero and Eros Ramazzotti)."Rush Hour," with well over two hours of playing time spread across two discs, offers a heaping dose of blues/blues rock.The first CD contains sixteen tracks, featuring the Mama’s Pit quartet alongside saxophonist James Thompson, Harper Johnny Mars, and Scott Finch.The fourteen songs on the second CD are live recordings, with Vic Vergeat guesting on the last two tracks. After the short "Barker’s Voice," the Mama’s Pit composition "Mister Evil" kicks things off with a bang. The 12-bar blues forms the basis for a sometimes jazzy atmosphere, largely thanks to saxophonist James Thompson. His instrument sounds at times like an entire brass section, and after Federico Basso's virtuosic Hammond solo, he also gets a solo in the opening track. A fantastic start! "Living In The Ghetto" is pure funk. The listener is captivated by Barbara Vulso's powerful voice, which comes across as so confident and authentic. Like pearls on a string, solos from the keyboardist and Alessio Menconi follow one another. Brilliant! Goosebumps, anyone? Here you go… "Mercedes Benz" sung a cappella by Barbara Vulso. This number creates the atmosphere as if the artist were singing on a street corner. A highlight! Almost as a transition to the second disc, a live recording of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" is included. With its guitar-driven interpretation, you immediately want to know what goes on at Mama's Pit live. However, the two songs featuring Scott Finch shouldn't be overlooked. "What Should I Do" practically glides along. Sure, the guest guitarist is featured here, but once again you're captivated by Barbara Vulso's vocals, which effortlessly rival those of Janis Joplin. B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby" marks the end of CD1 with another highlight, as the strings have been strung on acoustic guitars for this track, and the vocals are delivered with plenty of groove. Fantastic! While the studio album featured original compositions, the live album is all about creating a great atmosphere by delving into the history of the blues. Songs by artists such as Willie Dixon, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, and Albert Collins are on the setlist.The live section kicks off in grand style with the feel-good classic "Let The Good Times Roll." Guitarist Alessio Manconi already lets loose with his guitar, and the band pumps another hefty dose of blues into the veins of "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind," composed by Chris Youlden (ex-Savoy Brown singer). Brilliant! Over a rolling, groovy "Down Home Blues," Mama's Pit transforms "Hoochie Coochie Man" into "Hoochie Coochie Woman," and alongside the fuzzy six-string runs, you can see how Barbara Vulso lives and breathes this piece of blues, singing from the heart and thus embodying the genre. Heavenly! The audience showers her with applause, and the impressive solos just keep coming. With the switch to piano, "Dr. Feelgood" becomes a captivating ballad, in which the frontwoman is accompanied solely by Federico Basso. Goosebumps! "Scuttle Buttin'" is characterized by hard-hitting rock 'n' roll, with Alessio Menconi at the helm for almost the entire performance. "The Sky Is Crying" is a slow blues of a special kind. "Night Time Is The Right Time" offers a groove for dancing, and the excellent quintet takes their time with the following two tracks. Mama’s Pit shifts gears with ease in the blues, and here too, it’s the slow execution of the twelve-bar blues that has a magnetic effect. On “Born In Chicago,” the clapping audience becomes the extended rhythm section, and the final song, “Baby I Love You,” could be adapted as a high praise for the album: Baby I Love “Rush Hour.” Released in 2002 in a kind of mediabook package with a booklet glued in the middle this double CD still carries an official blues seal of approval even after so many years.
