Rick Estrin and the Nightcats

The Hits Keep Coming

Alligator Records

For over thirty years Rick Estrin was the frontman for Little Charlie And The Nightcats. During the time with them he won two Blues Music Awards; Song of The Year and Best Instrumentalist-Harmonica. When Charlie Baty retired from touring in 2008 Estrin re-formed the band as Rick Estrin And The Nightcats. Since then Estrin has been the recipient of twenty-six BMA nominations. In 2018 alone Estrin received seven nominations and won the trifecta; his second award for Song of The Year, Traditional Male Artist of The Year, and most importantly took home the coveted award for Band of The Year.

This is the bands sixth album for Alligator and fifth studio recording. The current lineup includes Estrin, harp and vocals; Kid Andersen all guitar and sometimes bass; Lorenzo Farrell, Hammond B-3 organ, piano and sometimes bass; and Derrick “D’Mar” Martin, drums. “Downbeat” magazine says “Estrin defines his own brand of hip. Original blues and vintage rock-style tunes also harbor his superb harmonica work. Estrin emotes with just the right amount of kitch and sincerity. The current litter of ‘Cats including guitarist Kid Andersen, reigns as the best band anywhere”.

A year after Little Charlie Baty retired from touring Rick Estrin And The Nightcats released 2009’s “Twisted”. They followed-up with 2012’s “One Wrong Turn”; 2014’s “You Asked For It…Live!; 2014’s “Groovin’ In Greaseland”; and 2021’s “Contemporary”. This new album also produced, recorded and mixed at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland studios includes several special guests. All of the songs were written or co-written by Estrin.

Jerry Jemmott plays bass on six of the twelve tracks. When Jemmott is not on bass Andersen doubles on both guitar and bass. The Sons of The Soul Revivers, James, Walter, and Dwayne Morgan are the background vocalists on four tracks. “The Circus Is Still In Town” a.k.a. the Monkey Song was co-written by J. Liban, featured is Quique Gomez, Maracas and Animal Noises. “I Finally Hit The Bottom” includes the lyric “and I’m on my way back up again”. The only cover is Lenard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows”. On the somber “Time For Me to Go” Estrin sings about his own mortality. “Diamonds At Your Feet” was written by Muddy Waters.

“Sack O’ Kools” is written by the band; Estrin, Andersen, Farrell and Martin. The closer is “Whatever Happened to Dobie Strange”. Strange was a drummer with Little Charlie who was replaced in 1996 by June Core. On the song we hear the voices of Charlie Musselwhite, Marty Dodson, Bob Welsh, and Boopsy Callinz with background vocals from The Sons of The Soul Revivers and Lisa Leuschner Andersen.

Estrin who was schooled by some of the west coasts best harmonica cats including Fillmore Slim, and Rodger Collins actually got to play with Lowell Fulson, Z.Z. Hill, Eddie Taylor, and Sam Lay. In fact Estrin even jammed with Muddy Waters. In my eyes Estrin just gets better and better.

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