Ryan Hartt & The Blue Hearts - Empty Wallet (2021)

                                                    
 Surprises come and go, but here's hoping that Connecticut's Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts are around for a long, long time. A stripped-down four-piece outfit with octane to spare and the chops to match, Hartt and the gang deal out some serious and smoldering jump, swing, and alley blues proving that the West Coast isn't the only hotbed for this style. Hartt's harmonica is sizzling and thick showing that he's listened to a wide range of players, from Little Walter to William Clarke, as well as Rod Piazza, George Smith, and many others, even quoting Smith in the romping True Love. Guitar chores are handled by Eric Ducoff, whose numerous influences are far too lengthy to list if his playing here is any indication; he tears off bizarre phrases and searing riffs with ease and leaves the grandstanding aside, delivering only what's necessary to raise the stakes. The rhythm section consists of Steve Combs on the upright bass and drumming from Nick Toscano, while guests include Rick Holmstrom who produced, Steve Mugalian on percussion and the Fisher-Price xylophone (no kiddin' - it works too!), New Englanders Troy Gonyea and Nick Adams stepping in on guitar, and Mark Stevens tackling piano duties. There's nothing pretentious about any of the tracks here and the level of excitement is as consistent as the seriousness and goodtime attitude with Sallie Mae being a lowdown Excello-flavored slow blues, the storming On My Mind, and the driving title track, all with Hartt's thick and greasy harp, and Ducoff sizzling on a handful including the careening Whizzbang, a brilliant instrumental, and I'd Be A Fool, a slow grinder with searing licks and wicked tone. Made up of mostly original material, the songwriting is as solid as the playing and shows that this band has done their homework, but what comes across more than anything is that this band understands the nuances that make a set balanced. With over-production far too consistent nowadays, the low-tech approach here is fresh and rewarding, another touch making it seem like this crew just stepped out of the 1950s and into your living room. Great stuff.


Credits:

Ryan Hartt - Vocals, Harmonica
Eric Ducoff - Vocals, Guitar
Nick Toscano - Drums
Steve Combs - Bass
Rick Holmstrom - Guitar
Steve Mugalian - Percussion,Drums
Troy Gonyea - Guitar
Mark Stevens - Piano
Nick Adams - Guitar

Tracklist:

01. Empty Wallet 05:33
02. True Love 04:15
03. Whizzbang 03:29
04. Sallie Mae 04:29
05. On My Mind 04:20
06. The Hangout 03:02
07. What Kind Of Woman Is That? 03:48
08. Do What You Do 03:10
09. Natural Charms 02:54
10. I'd Be A Fool 03:54
11. My Girl 03:13
12. The Spackle 03:51
13. New Love, Old Love 05:05
14. Monday Morning Blues 06:13
15. North of Franklin 09:48