Deja Blues -Sugar Ray and the Bluetones Sweeten Things Up At Chans, 1/14/12

I really did think Little Walter had come back to life for a few moments last Saturday night when Sugar Ray Norcia sang "It's a mean old world - when you're livin' by yourself" to a dedicated, standing room only audience at Chan's in Woonsocket. Little Walter's career was popularized to a wider audience in the movie "Cadillac Records" - playing on a Chicago streetcorner, discovered by Muddy Waters, hits the top of the charts with Chess Records, finally dies in Geneva Waters' arms from a beating received over a gambling debt. Sugar Ray Norcia and the Bluetones paid homage to Little Walter with "Mean Old World" among others, but the show wasn't just about craftsmanship.

Norcia was born in Stonington, Connecticut and started playing blues harp in high school. He officially formed the Bluetones after moving to Providence, and the band started paying its dues in the 1970s, doing regular gigs as well as backing up Big Walter Horton, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Mama Thornton and Big Joe Turner. Sugar Ray joined Roomful of Blues as lead singer in 1991, touring and appearing on three albums, Norcia leaving the band in 1998. He has played with the blues best-known harpists - James Cotton, Billy Branch and Charlie Musselwhite on 1999's "Superharps", and is getting ready to hit the road as part of Billy Hummel's Harmonica Blowout with John Mayall, Billy Boy Arnold and Charlie Musselwhite again. The Bluetones have changed lead guitarists repeatedly, but "Monster" Mike Welch has been part of the lineup for about 10 years, along with the rthymn section of Neil Gouvin and Mudcat Ward and pianist Anthony Geraci.

Norcia and Welch traded riffs throughout the show at Chan's, the "Monster" taking over for a couple of tunes, his vocals sounding a lot like Howlin'Wolf, his playing -  like Sugar Ray's harp - straight out of Chicago, the notes fluid and melodic, but still tough and penetrating just the same. Both musicians have a symbiotic relationship as if they can anticipate each other's musical moves, a tight but seamless classic low down groove that had the audience clapping until their hands hurt. Listening to the sound of Sugar Ray's blues harp evokes the legendary players - Butterfield, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter - as well as his own originals, like "Too Many Rules and Regulations."

The band released "Evening" in 2011, which has resulted in four nominations for the Blues Music Awards coming up in Memphis this May, including best album. The music has the feel of a live show, most songs done in one take according to Sugar Ray, reminiscent of the Chess record sound that spawned Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and Chuck Berry among many others.

Sugar Ray and The Bluetones not only keep on touring, but Norcia also plays regular gigs in Europe as well as the upcoming Harmomonica Blowout tour.  To buy the CD, read more about Sugar Ray and find out where and when the band is playing, check out http://www.sugarrayandthebluetones.com/.