With this album, fantastic singer, harmonica player and composer Chris O’Leary debuts for Alligator Records, something that already foretells its quality. Even Bruce Iglauer said that what impressed him most was Chris incredible way of composing songs with lyrics that move from the funniest stories to the deepest and most personal subjects, but he also was surprised by the passion he always gives to his performing and his unbelievable harp technique developed in impressive solos.

Vocally speaking, his singing is influenced by Levon Helm, The Band drummer, as they played together for years in the group The Barn Burners where Chris was lead singer. And talking about his harmonica playing, his main influence is James Cotton, he discovered when he was young, when his father gave him the album “Hard Again” by Muddy Waters where Cotton was on harmonica. Chris also joined the Marines, but he never forgot music and the blues, coming back on stage with success until a problem with his voice forced him to leave music aside for some time, working as a policeman and taking care of his family. Anyway, music was always in his mind and he soon came back with renewed energies, recording for VizzTone thanks to his good friend Bob Margolin.

This first album for Alligator Records gathers twelve own compositions, which become a good example of the amazing feeling Chris communicates when he plays blues, something that will undoubtedly catch most listeners’ souls, thanks to the intensity of each and every one of the songs included in the album. Besides, Chris is joined by a good number of top musicians with guitar players Chris Vitarello, Greg Gumpel and Monster Mike Welch, piano players Jesse O’Brien, Brooks Milgate and Jeremy Baum, bass players Andy Huenerberg, Matt Raymond, Dan Vitarello, Michael Bram, Andrei Koribanics and Ray Hangen, as well as a powerful horn section and the backing vocals of Libby Cabello and Willa Vincitore.

A superb blues album, highly recommended for the undeniable quality and the excellent skills of a great artist called Chris O’Leary.