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Don't Wait On Me

LITTLE ANTHONY &
THE LOCO-MOTIVES

© & (p) 1995 Deluge Records, Inc.

Don't Wait On Me is the second Deluge release for The Loco-Motives.

Still anchored by the triple threat of Little Anthony Geraci on keyboards, Karl Kelly on vocals and Anne Hamel on guitar, and one of the tightest rhythm sections around, the band has recently added horn greats Amadee Castinell and Gordon Beadle to their devastating lineup.

The resulting musical progression is heard on Don't Wait On Me, a full throttle excursion into the heart of R&B and blues.

Produced by Anthony R. Geraci
Executive Producer: John Mazzuchelli

The Songs

  1. Don't Wait On Me
  2. The Felon
  3. Man In The Moon
  4. Tell Me That You Love You
  5. Bustin' My Butt
  6. If We Share
  7. What Can I Do?
  8. Baby
  9. You Can Run, But You Can't Hide
  10. Free Thinking
All songs written by members of the Loco-Motives (Marvidic Music:BMI)
Please see liner notes for specific songwriter credits.

The Players

Credits

Recorded by Dave Kirkpatrick, assisted by Ted Paduck, at Sound Techniques, Boston, MA.
Overdubs by Dave Porter
Mixed and Mastered by Howard Jeffrey, assisted by Doc Cavalier, at Trod Nossel Recording Studios, Wallingford, Connecticut.

Photography by A. Vincent Scarano, New London, CT
Design by Michael Yoder, Portland, Maine

Thanks to: Julie, Jason, Todd, Mikayla, Anthony Sr., Louise, Judy Geraci, Sugar Ray and the Bluetone Family, Otis Grand, Ronnie Earl, George Lewis, Rob Funk, Stash, Hoe Silvaroli, Buddy Fox, Hon Stage, Bob Kempf, Newton Zomberg, Tom Connor, Mother, Rob, David Pottie, Mark Steinberg and WCNI, Mai Cramer, Holly Harris, Karen Kaplan, Rosey Rosenblatt, Ron Stewart, Gina Romani, The Rev., Rob Bush, Billy Wilson's, Mark Greenberg, Eight To The Bar.

Thanks from Anne to: Tom, Dad & Linda, Kathy, Doug Butts, Shirley Ray, and the Apple Music Company.

Thanks from Billy to: Pat, Yuki, Jamie, Laina Metcalfe.

Rhode Island is a place of distinction far out of proportion to its postage-stamp size and small population. More than four hundred miles of scenic coastline. Newport. Narragansett Bay. Fascinating local history- from Colonial-era chronicles of religious freedom to incredible reports of vampirism in the nineteenth century. Little Rhody's prominence extends to music as well. The celebrated Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals. The summer-ending cajun and Bluegrass bash in rural Escoheag, now one of the East's premiere concert events. Lupo's club in Providence is a landmark. Jazz luminaries Bobby Hackett, Dave McKenna and Scott Hamilton were born here, and the Ocean State has also spawned an amazing number of world-class blues musicians: Little Anthony Geraci, Paul Geremia, Neil Gouvin, Young Neil, and past or present members of the mighty Roomful of Blues, specifically Duke Robillard, Al Copley, Greg Piccolo, Fran Christina, John Rossi, Rich Lataille, Doug James and Sugar Ray Norcia.

Liner Notes

Little Anthony, whose trim vandyke beard, stylish eyeglasses and groomed pony-tail make him look like a distinguished, free-spirited college professor, leads the exciting Loco-Motives. As most everybody knows, he first came to international renown some time ago when playing piano as both a founding father of the great Sugar Ray and The Blue Tones and a charter member of Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters. Anthony, who studied music at Berklee College of Music, was in the thick of things for the duration of the Blue Tones' long lifetime, from the early days in Providence when guitar marvels earl and J.B. Hutto played with the group through a dozen years of vigorous club work right into this decade and the difficult decision to knock the band on its head. We'll never forget the two impressive albums the Blue Tones made for the Rounder record group and the magnificent gigs with Big Walter Horton, Cleanhead Vinson, Chuck Berry and many more esteemed elders.

A stellar player who uses his left hand to roll the basses of boogie woogie with effortless grace while using his other to spray clusters of treble notes, Anthony formed the Loco-Motives in 1992 and quickly carved out a niche for the band on the competetive New England R&B club scene. The following year they crossed the border to perform for a reported 30,000 fans at the Montreal Jazz Festival. The subsequent release of the first Loco-Motives album - Can't Take It (DEL 3005) - earned them favorable notice around the country.

The Loco-Motives' new record is propelled by Anthony's dancing digits on the 88 keys. But, to his credit, the fortyish Rhode Islander seldom draws attention to himself, and instead directs the music with the unflappable determination of an intelligent, committed player who knows that showboating has little emotional or artistic worth. Anthony's focus of sound and concentration of intent are very much his own, even as his playing sometimes pays homage to Chicago blues master Pinetop Perkins and the late great Lloyd Glenn.

Anthony, who wrote or co-wrote all the songs and supplied almost all of the arrangements, isn't interested in having his music pigeonholed as "blues." He employs his four Smokestack Horns to give enjoyable album selections like "Don't Wait On Me" and "Man In The Moon" the urgent crackle of classic R&B (be it the Stax or "jump blues" variety) while encouraging his feature saxophonist Amadee Castinell to soar on the wings of jazz. Talented guitarist Anne Hamel, who has toured North America with Pinetop Perkins entourage, retains strong ties to stone blues as band singer Karl Kelly - a North carolina native with gospel training - belts out the words to the songs in a passionate style that owes something to, among others, Lou Rawls, Wynonie Harris, Big Joe Turner and Otis Redding. Bassist Billy Metcalfe and drummer Michael Jansen pour on the heat everywhere with undeniable verve. Throughout the program, the spirit of the Loco-Motives' music evokes the brashness of early rock 'n' roll, when Wynonie was shaking down the devil, Big Joe was a gale wind from Kansas City and Louis Prima was at his wildest.

Anthony understands how important it is to have his band sound fresh and special, so it's appropriate that the Loco-Motives' latest album includes an instrumental number called "Free Thinking." The entire band gets to stretch out interestingly without being tied to any specific musical style, and all the colors of blues, funk, jazz, r&b and rock combine in something unclassifiable, something delightful. More bands should be this adventurous.

Little Anthony & The Loco-Motives, glad to say, is one more reason to hail the state of Rhode Island.

Frank-John Hadley, contributing writer-Down Beat/Jazziz/The Boston Phoenix/Pulse!

Reviews and Comments

Little Anthony & The Loco-Motives - Don't Wait on Me

Congratulations are in order to Little Anthony & The Loco-Motives on the release of their second disc on the Deluge Record Label called Don't Wait on Me. This is the Loco-Motives follow up to their 1993 release called Can't Take It.

Can't Take It is a pretty good record but not a great record. Don't Wait on Me is superior in every way. The songs are better and Karl Kelly's vocals are stronger than I've ever heard them. There's a sense of confidence that you can feel coming through the music. It's as if the band just knew they were making an excellent record. Also, to their credit, all ten songs are originals. This was the case with their first record as well.

Appropriately Anthony Geraci's piano is the first thing you hear on the track that opens the disc. The Loco-Motives have a sound that can be best described as power-swing blues. This is not a stripped down band by any means. The Loco-Motives are backed by the Smokestack horns and the Parlor car singers which gives this very busy record a true wall of sound.

Some of the interesting songs on the disc include "Man In The Moon" which is the first song on the disc where the horn section fully kicks in. On "Tell Me That You Love Me" the smooth lead guitar of Annie Hamel is highlighted. And on "Bustin' My Butt" we have another long line of blues songs about life behind bars.

My favorite song on the disc is a Geraci composition called "If We Share." There's a flute solo in this song which gives it a different texture than the other songs on the disc. Also the harmonizing at the end of this song is beautiful.

On "What Can I Do?" Kelly plays a little bit of his harmonica but really just enough to tease you. If I have one criticism of the record it's that Karl Kelly wasn't given a song where he could step up and blow some mean harp that we all know he's more than capable of doing.

The disc ends with a long instrumental aptly called "Free Thinking." There's a brilliant trumpet solo by Scott Arruda and in fact the interplay between all the musicians on this tune is alone worth the price of the CD.

Little Anthony & The Loco-Motives along with Young Neil & The Vipers continue to keep Rhode Island's rich blues legacy going. 1996 should be a break through for both.

Sound Waves ('95)


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