The making of this album started on July 25th 1999 when I went down to Florence (Italy) to see the amazing show of the great Tom Waits. The concert ended around midnight so I had a five hours gap before getting the train back to Milano early in the morning. A long lone night walk gathered the lyrics of “Pocket Full Of Nothin’”,the first step to a new musical and life adventure to be lived and believed by Family Style.
..From Dublin to New Orleans, from Warsaw to Milan..from the many roads to walk to reach that somewhere yet to come.
Franco Limido
March 9th 2003
Year Of The Blues
Thanks to Spalding Blues Club for the following Review.
This album is part of a journey through life, a blues life, a way of life, Family Style. Early beginnings of this journey start with Cooper Terry, a black American Bluesman settling in Italy after as a young teenager getting himself into a bit of trouble Stateside. Marco Limido was his electric guitarist in his band 'The Night Life'; at the age of 16, his younger brother Franco saw the band and was so impressed by Cooper, he decided then and there that he wanted to be like him. So we have it, the foundations of a really great band, following in the footsteps of their Mentor, the late, great Cooper T'. They have journeyed to many places, from Dublin to New Orleans, from Warsaw to Milan and on to Spalding in England and even Rotterdam. Journeying with them, their cousin Davide Bianci and their buddy Gigi Biolcati, gathering many friends along the way, sharing lifes experiences, it's ups and downs, giving inspiration to this albums superb content. 'Walk' is part of lifes journey.
So on to my analysis of this album, track by track.
1 - My Baby She's Grand (F Limido - M Limido)
Franco Limido - vocals and harmonica
Marco Limido - guitar
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Biolcati - drums
Family Style burst into this album with a great up tempo number, I am sure Franco's lovely girlfriend Leila was the inspiration, I have seen her photo, "She's Grand". Equally fine solo's from Franco on 'harp' and Marco on guitar backed by that tight rhythm section of Davide on bass and Gigi on drums. Grand number.
2 - Brand New Blues (F Limido - M Limido)
Franco Limido - vocals and harmonica session
Marco Limido - guitars
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Biolcati - drums and shaker
Slawek Wierzcholski - harmonica solo
An equally fine up tempo number, given more depth by Gigi adding a shaker and a great harmonica solo by Slawak that great 'harpist' from Poland. Adds a new dimension.
3 - Get Rid Of You (F Limido - M Limido)
Franco Limido - vocals and harmonica
Marco Limido - guitar
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Biolcati - drums and udu
Great start with Franco on 'harp', Marco on guitar and Gigi on udu. Unusual lyric and rhythm portraying a sentiment we have all felt many times in our life. Superb 'harp' break by Franco in the middle. Franco my Buddy you are in fine voice.
4 - Body Painter (F Limido - M Limido)
Franco Limido - vocals
Marco Limido - guitar
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Biolcati - drums
Slowing down the pace here, Franco leads with an even more unusual lyric about possibly a former lover? Unusual Lady! Probably fun while it lasted, probably better in the past where it belongs, a bitter sweet memory.
5 - Jack Daniel (S Wierzcholski)
Franco Limido - vocals and harmonica
Marco Limido - guitar
Tony McPhee - slide guitar and backup vocals
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Biolcati - drums
Slawek Wierzcholski - rhythm guitar, backup vocals
A great drinking song written by Slawek, the usual four band members plus that great British Bluesman Tony McPhee on slide guitar and Slawak again this time on rhythm guitar, both providing the backing vocals. I would love to be included in this round, sip it slow to appreciate.
6 - Easy (W Horton)
Franco Limido - harmonica
Marco Limuido - guitar
Stefano Franco - piano
Breaking from their own numbers, just two of Family Style this time, Franco on Harp and what a superb piece of 'harp' too, a fine tribute to 'Big' Walter 'Shaky' Horton. Ably backed by brother Marco on guitar and Stefano Franco on piano. A fine, slow, drawling piece of honky tonk.
7 - Walking Blues (R Johnson)
Franco Limido - vocals and harmonica
Marco Limido - slide guitar
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Biolcati - drums
Marco changing to an Elmore James style slide guitar for this legendary number by that instigator of Blues music, I whisper in reverence "Robert Johnson". Great gruff vocal by Franco. Superbly number done as it should be.
8 - Pocket Full Of Nothin' (F Limido - M Limido)
Franco Limido - vocals and harmonica
Marco Limidi - guitars
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Bioclati - drums and shakers
Great start by Gigi on drums and shakers soon expanded into another unusual number by all the guys, with a "pocket full of nothin" how can you lose? Well they don't lose the plot, love it.
9 - Chaplin (M Limido)
Marco Limido - guitar
Michele Fazio - piano
Luca Tonani - bass
Gigi Biolcati - whitewash brush and drums
The pace slows down again with this gentle instrumental written by Marco, really sound guitar from Marco, equally by Michele Fazio this time on piano, a change of bass also by Luca Tonani. And whats this as well as drums, Gigi on whitewash brush, it certainly adds a thud to the rhythm. A well written piece of jazz blues, well done.
10 - Someone To Blues About (F Limido - M Limido)
Franco Limido - vocals
Marco Limido - guitar
Davide Bianchi - bass and backup vocals
Gigi Biolcati - drums and backup vocals
Michele Fazio - piano
Looks like Family Style have written a lyric to a previous instrumental from an earlier CD, no doubt inspired by a great relationship that has it's ups and downs. Well Leila, Franco certainly loves you babe, his "someone to Blues about". Just great guys, best number.
11 - I Walk All Day (Just To Find My Way) (F Limido - M Limido)
Patrick McGinley - vocals
Jim Mercik - vocals
Franco Limido - vocals and harmonica
Marco Limido - guitar
Davide Bianchi - bass
Gigi Biolcati - drums and cajon
Bringing in that great Irish American vocalist Patrick McGinley, and young Jim Mercik to join in this catchy repetitive lyric with Franco, this number with the band blasting away in between the chorus, what a really great number for audience participation. Thats it! get a round in for all the guys, they deserve it.
