The Claudettes

High Times in the Dark

Forty Below Records

The Claudettes were founded by Brian Berkowitz known professionally as Johnny Iguana. He had previously played organ in the Indie rock band “Oh My God” but is a highly regarded Chicago blues pianist having recorded with Junior Wells, Carey Bell, Lurrie Bell, Matthew Skoller and Lil’ Ed.  He appears on the 2009 Grammy nominated and Blues Music Award winning “Chicago Blues: A Living History” and its sequel 2011’s “The (R)evolution Continues”; and also on 2015’s “Muddy Waters 100” project. He and the Claudettes co-founder drummer Michael Caskey released their debut “Infernal Piano Plot…Hatched!” in 2013. Three more albums followed: 2015’s “No Hotel”, 2017’s “Pull Closer to Me”, and 2018’s “Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium”.

Now on a new label, The Claudettes mix Chicago piano blues with rockabilly and punk. The current lineup includes Iguana, piano and keyboards; the returning Caskey, drums, percussion and keyboards; Zach Verdoorn (who also played with “Oh My God”), bass, guitar and vocals; and Berit Ulseth (who joined in 2017), vocals.  All of songs were written by Iguana. The album was recorded by producer Ted Hutt and engineer Stephen Shirk at the Shirk Studios in Chicago.

Ulseth sings seductively on “Bad Babe, Losin’ Touch” with some great piano from Iguana; on “24/5”, and “I Swear to God”. Iguana’s sense of humor is exploited on the media driven “Most Accidents Happen” and on the scornful “Grandkids, Wave Bye-Bye”. Iguana is self-indulgent on “One Special Bottle” and on “I Don’t Do That Stuff Anymore”; his frustration openly apparent on “You Drummers Keep Breaking My Heart”.

The stunning closer is “The Sun Will Fool You” as Ulseth bemoans a cold-hearted lover who appears normal to everyone else. A supplementary music video created by illustrator Dan Bigelow has already won awards at film festivals in Glasgow and Chile; as is scheduled to be viewed at the esteemed Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose.

The Claudettes make their mark as they stand apart from the guitar-driven bands with their own unique blues-jazz piano propelled attack.

Richard Ludmerer