Chad Rupp And The Sugar Roots Gate C23

October 26, 2024

Chad Rupp And The Sugar Roots

Gate C23

Lightning In A Bottle Records

This new album opens with “Fresh Suits” as Chad Rupp sings “fresh suits and crocodile boots” with harmony from backing vocalists LaRonda Steele, Arietta Ward and Ms. Vee. All of the songs were written by Chad except for three covers. The first of the three covers is “She Is The One” a.k.a. “She’s The One” written by Roland Stone, and an early song from Dr. John who, on the original, is featured on guitar, “that makes me break down and cry, because she’s the one that makes me feel good, I hope I am doin’ all the things I should”. “She Got That Business Handled” is a New Orleans flavored stomp reminiscent of ‘Iko, Iko’ once again featuring the harmony vocalists, Andrea De Luca guitar; and horn players Joe McCarthy, Bradley Ulrich, and Pat Pepin.

“Gate C 23” is a song about an experience Chad sustained when on his way to Memphis, his plane was grounded due to an ice storm, and he had to spend the night in the terminal, unable to sleep he sings “get me out of this place”; again featuring the three-piece horn section.

The second cover is “Fourteen Dollars in The Bank” from the late, great harmonica icon Paul DeLay, the song was first recorded by DeLay on his 1998 album “Nice & Strong”; “saw the repo man this morning…I told my baby, we’d be alright but I don’t believe we will”, Mitch Kashmar adds some great harmonica on this fine tribute.

“Blues City Cafe” features Brady Goss, piano; and Ken Brewer, organ; with more harp from Kashmar and Jimi Bott on drums, “walkin’ down Beale Street, Memphis Tennessee”. On “Do Watcha’ Daddy Say”, Chad chimes “how when I call her, she picks up the phone…when I’m foolin’, she’s foolin’ with me, she’s my baby and she do whatcha daddy say, whenever I’m talkin she pick’s up her ears, she don’t give me no back talk, she do whatever daddy say”.

“You’ll Be Singing My Songs” includes more great harmonica from Kashmar as Chad croons “maybe someday, when I’m gone, you’ll be singing my song”, once again with the trio of backing vocalists. On “2 Inches Shy A Foot” Chad shouts “see these boots there unbelievable” with great organ from Brewer, and saxophone from Pat Pepin.

On “Fat Kid Boogie”, Chad sings “he’s the happiest kid you ever did see, he’s the fat kid…standing in line for that barbeque, it’s the fat kid boogie” once again featuring Kashmar blowin’ his harp. The closer “Blind, Crippled and Crazy” was first recorded by soul master O.V. Wright in 1972 and is fabulously re-created by Chad “I’d rather be blind, crippled and crazy, pushin’ up daises, then go back to you again”.

This is the third studio album from Chad and follows 2022’s “Savage Life” and 2023’s “The Devil Won’t Get You”…the appearance of the three harmony vocalists led by LaRonda Steele, and the addition of harp ace Mitch Kashmar make this album a complete success. Chad Rupp And The Sugar Roots “Gate C23” is highly recommended listening.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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