West Coast House Party is an album by the American musician Kid Ramos, released in 2000.[1][2] It was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for best contemporary blues album.[3] Ramos's third solo album, West Coast House Party was released through Evidence Music.[4] Ramos supported it with a North American tour.[5]
| West Coast House Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2000 | |||
| Recorded | February 2000 | |||
| Genre | West Coast blues, jump blues | |||
| Label | Evidence | |||
| Producer | Kid Ramos | |||
| Kid Ramos chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production edit
The album was recorded over two days in February 2000.[6] Junior Watson, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Duke Robillard, and Charlie Baty were among the many guest musicians who contributed to the recording sessions.[6] Stephen Hodges played drums.[7] Janiva Magness contributed backing vocals; her husband wrote "Happy Hour".[8] Kim Wilson sang and played harmonica on "Real Gone Lover".[9] "Love Don't Love Nobody" is a cover of the Roy Brown song.[10] "House Party" was written by Amos Milburn.[11] Ramos included a short history of jump blues in the album liner notes.[9]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Austin Chronicle | [12] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [11] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [13] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [14] |
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised the "swinging, danceable tracks that infuse new life into a classic blues style."[14] The Austin Chronicle concluded that "everyone seems to be having a good time, playing and singing enthusiastically, and they're technically competent artists, but only the 76-year-old Brown is an original stylist."[12] The Fort Worth Star-Telegram labeled the songs "danceable delights," and advised to "forget the new Brian Setzer and buy this instead."[10] The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the album "a delicious slab of greasy, horn-drenched jump-blues and R&B."[13] The Times noted the return to "jump blues and boogies."[15] The Virginian-Pilot said, "although no virtuoso, the Kid is adept at all styles, playing throughout the session with taste, economy and verve."[16]
AllMusic called the album "a consistently exciting and joyously well-performed disc of upbeat jump blues, played with a one-take intensity that's contagious."[9]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Strollin' with Bone (Part 1)" | |
| 2. | "'Lizabeth" | |
| 3. | "Guitar Player" | |
| 4. | "Talking That Talk" | |
| 5. | "House Party" | |
| 6. | "Where Were You" | |
| 7. | "Love Don't Love Nobody" | |
| 8. | "Welcome Blues" | |
| 9. | "Bring It Home to Me" | |
| 10. | "Wipe Your Tears" | |
| 11. | "Happy Hour" | |
| 12. | "Real Gone Lover" | |
| 13. | "Silly Dilly Woman" | |
| 14. | "One Bar Shot" | |
| 15. | "One Mo' Peep" | |
| 16. | "Strollin' with Bone (Part 2)" |
References edit
- ^ Skelly, Richard (7 Feb 2014). "They're not kidding around". Music. Asbury Park Press.
- ^ Gregory, Hugh (2003). Roadhouse Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Texas R&B. Backbeat Books. p. 184.
- ^ Ellis, Bill (14 Jan 2001). "Old, New Artists Top Handys List". The Commercial Appeal. p. B1.
- ^ "West Coast House Party, Kid Ramos". Weekender. The Columbus Dispatch. 28 Sep 2000. p. 5.
- ^ "Hot Ticket". Time Out. Ventura County Star. Mar 23, 2001. p. 18.
- ^ a b Lewis, Randy (4 Oct 2000). "Partying with the Kid". Los Angeles Times. p. B8.
- ^ Hall, Jeff (Oct 20, 2000). "Ramos raveups". Courier-Post. p. 14T.
- ^ Purdy, Jim (Dec 22, 2000). "Tucson Gig No Accident". Music. Arizona Daily Star. p. 41.
- ^ a b c d "West Coast House Party Review by Hal Horowitz". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ a b Ferman, Dave (Sep 1, 2000). "Kid Ramos, West Coast House Party". Star Time. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 19.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 538.
- ^ a b Pekar, Harvey (November 10, 2000). "Kid Ramos West Coast House Party". Record Reviews. The Austin Chronicle.
- ^ a b Cristiano, Nick (Sep 10, 2000). "Country/Roots". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. I14.
- ^ a b White, Jim (22 Oct 2000). "Meanwhile, other blues have been committed...". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. G7.
- ^ Clarke, John (16 Sep 2000). "Blues Choice". Features. The Times. p. 11.
- ^ "The recording, set up like one of those '50s/'60s traveling R&B revues...". The Virginian-Pilot. 19 Jan 2001. p. E10.