Throughout his career, Jimmy Vivino has worn several hats – as Conan O’Brien’s musical director, stints in the Levon Helm Band, leading the Beatles tribute band Fab Faux, and recently as a member of Canned Heat, not to mention films, Broadway, and countless other endeavors. At heart, though, he’s always favored blues and soul, so it’s not surprising to see him sign with one of today’s most vital blues labels, Mike Zito’s Gulf Coast Records. While Vivino’s guitar and keyboard skills have long been well respected, this gives him the opportunity to display his songwriting skills, which he does in both straightforward and rather clever ways on “Gonna Be 2 Of Those Days.” For example, the CD design itself resembles a 45 rpm.
Vivino on acoustic and electric guitars, piano, and B3 is backed by the bass-drum tandem of Jesse Williams and Rich Pagano, the latter also co-producing. Guests assist on select tracks. Heavy guitars welcome us into the stomping “Blues In The 21st,” also one of three singles, as thick electric guitar chords mesh with stinging slide, Vivino cutting it up with Joe Bonamassa and singing with convicted, unleashed passion.
The second single, “Ruby Is Back,” is one of several examples in either the title or lyrics where Vivino plays off an older song, in this case, Kenny Rogers’ “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town.” Of course, this is a blues song, with Vivino displaying his considerable chops on the frets as well as the B3. The third single is “Ain’t Nuthin’s Gonna Be Alright,” where Vivino waxes on the trusty blues theme on hard luck and trouble in this mid-tempo tune.
The barrelhouse piano shuffle (w/ Scott Healy on piano) “Beware The Wolf” is the first of two featuring friend and harmonica legend John Sebastian. Mark Teixeira (Duke Robillard Band) adds percussion. There’s nothing ornamental here, just pure blues. Healy is aboard for the title track as well, with a riff styled along the lines of Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” as Vivino runs through a litany of hard breaks, dealing with a flat tire “…my AAA card was canceled, it’s gonna be two of those days.” Healy also contributes to the mid-tempo “Better Days Past” with searing guitar and one of Vivino’s most potent vocals. Healy dons the accordion with Vivino on resonator on “Goin’ Down Fast,” obviously a play on the blues chestnut, “Goin’ Down Slow” with the same chord progression. Even the lyrics hearken to older blues songs – “we are drinkin’ muddy water.” “Shady Side of the Street” ostensibly might relate to “Dark End of the Street,” but it clearly plays to the ominous strains of Howlin’ Wolf, complete with imitative howls and formidable guitar and piano.
“Fool’s Gold” is the requisite slow blues, with Vivino on a swirling B3 accompanying his crooning vocal with a blistering guitar solo in the break. Vivino goes out in flourish, titularly tapping into that famous Canned Heat song “Goin’ Up the Country” with his own “Back Up the Country,” rendering it acoustic with Sebastian on terrific harmonica. Again, Vivino’s wit shines through, invoking “where the water tastes like wine” and incisive commentary on commercialism and over-development with the line “…they got a Starbucks there, I can’t keep from cryin’.”
As you’d expect, Vivino delivers the goods with little adornment needed
