Fresh off their last year’s Grammy-nominated Here in Babylon, it was finally the right time for Texas-bred, California-based Teresa James and her band, The Rhythm Tramps to capture their live performances on record. Their high octane energy, inimitable band chemistry, and sparkling musicianship threaten at times to blow the roof off the club. The performances are taken form four nights at one of their favorite haunts, Bogie’s in Westlake Village with slightly different band members across the four nights, due to schedules. These players, drummers and horn players especially, are high profile cats that play in several bands and do considerable session work. James, of course, handles the lead vocals and keyboards with husband and primary composer Terry Wilson on bass and Billy Watts on guitar. The horns feature Lee Thornburg and Darrel Leonard on trumpet with Joe Sublett, Paulie Cerra, and Ron Sziubla on saxophones. Drummers are Herman Mathews, Jay Bellarose, and Tony Braunagel.
Horns usher in the opening “In the Pink,” taken from the 2007 album Bottom Line with James running through a litany of names that inspired her. James’ voice has favorably been compared to Bonnie Raitt for those who may need a reference point. Her pounding piano is the foundation for the jump boogie “I Like It Like That,” originally from the Five Royales in 1964. R&B hit “Put the Squeeze on Me” has long been a crowd favorite, sweetened here in the changes by the horns. The funky soul tune, “Easier Said Than Done” was written by Wilson for the 2008 album Oh Yeah and has Dziubla stepping forward for a growling, blazing solo. A ballad is due, and James gives her all, demonstrating impressive vocal range on the Wilson penned “Forgetting You,” with Cerra taking the sax solo.
”She’s Got a Way With Her” from the 2012 release, Come on Home, brings a Motown groove and exchanges between James and the horns. They follow with another smoldering soul ballad, the Wilson penned “Don’t Make a Habit of It.” Guitarist Billy Watts shares the mic with James on a tune long associated with Etta James in her Chess days, “If I Can’t Have You.” Tony Braunagel sets the NOLA beat for Alan Toussaint’s “Shoorah” before James displays her worth Grammy vocal chops on “The Day The Blues Came to Call” from last year’s album that earned a contemporary blues nomination. James gives the audience another favorite cover with William Bell’s “Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday before nodding to her Texas roots with Delbert co-conspirator Glen Clark’s “I Want It All.” The Houston-born James then ends with another roadhouse tune, becoming a signature theme song for the band, “Long Way From Texas.”
Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps at this point don’t need to convince us that they are one of the best contemporary blues bands today. But if there are any doubters out there, they need to listen to these live cuts.
