82 year old, forty-year veteran blues club owners from Vicksburg Mississippi don't get impressed with slicked back hair and suits that went out in the 50's....just dress nice and remember no shorts on stage. They don't care who you played with....B.B., Albert, Big Mama, Pee Wee, George Smith, Neckbone, William Clarke, Mickey Champion and all the rest have already been there in person sweating it out just like you. Blues music to them is a living, breathing, drinking and dancing thing that they made their living from....not some petrified, mystified, glorified, rule-laden hallowed treasure to be worshipped on a pedestal. Basically, they know where the music comes from...but they really don't care about this either. All they want to know is...can you play with soul? Mama's Boys come out of Los Angeles/Long Beach and were named after club owner Miss Laura Mae "Mama" Gross. They are led by harmonica player Johnny Mastro who learned to play and sing with Mama watching over. Harps aren't the favorite instrument in these sax-friendly clubs so you have to know what your doing. But right along with George Smith and William Clarke, Johnny is her favorite. Dave Melton is one of the most soulful guitarists you'll ever hear and many of LA's guitarists come out to watch his hands and slide. You can put the rhythm section up against any in the business ...no B.S.Mama calls them all her sons and encouraged them to listen, be yourself, and play from the heart. The Boys have played over 250 gigs a year for the last 9 years, headlined the 28th Annual Grand Prix of Long Beach, have been nominated for "Best Blues Artist" by LA Music Awards, were named "Best Unsigned Blues Band" in Southern California by Doheny Blues Festival, were one of two finalists in LA's RockWar 2000, voted one of LA's "Top 100 Unsigned Bands" by Music Connection Magazine, were featured on the national/international syndicated radio program "Blues Deluxe", recorded 5 CD's, and can still be found down at Babe's & Ricky's Inn. Chicken & Waffles is their new CD and was recorded completely live in the studio...into positioned room microphones...no overdubs...no re-playing... no re-singing...the way blues sounds best. It starts off with one of their nicer songs (You'd Better Be Sure) and ends 50 minutes later dark and chaotic with a long minor instrumental (Blues for Late Summer). In between there are some heavy grooves (One Day) and some lighter stuff too (Chicken & Waffles). Nine songs are originals, four are "obscurish" covers and two are instrumentals. It should be played back like it was recorded...loud! But check out the dynamics...This isn't pretty note-for note rehashing played with tiptoeing reverence ... this is living breathing music played with guts and sweat. Check out the mono mix on Elmore James "Coming Home" or the gutbucket harp solo on "Too Tight" and you'll get the picture. Mama's Boys blues is neither pretty nor rehearsed, so why try to play it that way? On Chicken & Waffles their just being themselves, listening to each other, and playing the only way Mama likes it...