Artist: Mike Zito and Friends
Album: Rock n Roll – A Tribute to Chuck Berry
Label: Ruf
Release Date: 11.1.2019
Maybe this was inevitable. Every blues and rock ‘n’ roll guitarist has been influenced in some way by Chuck Berry, but when, in Mike Zito’s case, the artist is sharing the same city with the legend, it becomes incumbent to pay tribute. And, a tribute to a legend as large as Berry requires some super heavy lifting and a project that goes well beyond the ordinary. Zito, of course, is one of the most respected blues artists on the contemporary scene, an affable, well-liked artist who is admired for his honesty, integrity, and a thriving career as a solo artist, sideman, producer, and now label co-owner. Given that Samantha Fish just signed with Rounder, Zito is perhaps the primary artist for the Ruf label, which is releasing Mike Zito and Friends – Rock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry, performed by Zito and an impressive array of 21 guest guitarists. This is Zito’s 16th album as a leader.
The guest names are certainly familiar, almost as familiar as the 20 Chuck Berry classics. Among them are Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, Anders Osborne, and Chuck’s grandson, Chuck Berry III. “Maybelline” has already been released as a single, and features St. Louis native and Guns n Roses axeman Richard Fortus. Zito mentions that he lived in St. Louis for 32 years and worked in a small musical instrument store where Berry’s drummer also worked. Berry’s son would also drop by on occasion.
The album was recorded at Zito’s own Marz Studios and was mixed and mastered by David Farrell. Zito and his band (Terry Dry (bass), Matthew Johnson (drums), Lewis Stephen (keys)) recorded the basic tracks and then sent them out to each guest musician who added their contributions and returned the files back. The process took about a year to complete.
Here is the track listing for easy reference:
| St Louis Blues (Recommended) Charlie Berry 3 (Chuck’s grandson) |
Promised Land (Recommended) Tinsley Ellis |
Thirty Days.(Recommended) Albert Castiglia |
| Back in the USA. Eric Gales |
Reeling and Rocking Tommy Castro |
Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Recommended) Josh Smith/Kirk Fletcher |
| Johnny B Goode. Walter Trout |
School Days Ally Venable |
Wee Wee Hours (Recommended) Joe Bonamassa |
| Memphis. (Recommended) Anders Osborne |
No Particular Place to Go Jeremiah Johnson |
I Want To Be Your Driver Ryan Perry |
| Monkey Business (Recommended) Luther Dickinson |
Down Bound Train Alex Skolnick (Testament) |
My Ding-a-Ling Kid Andersen |
| You Never Can Tell Robben Ford |
Maybelline. Richard Fortus (Guns n Roses) |
Let it Rock (Recommended) Jimmy Vivino |
| Rock N Roll Music (Recommended) Joanna Connor |
Havana Moon. (Recommended) Sonny Landreth |
Tastes will depend on the Berry song and one’s preference for guitarist. This writer’s only major quibble, (although one could argue for days on end about other guitarists one could wish were included) is the inclusion of “My Ding-a-ling,” by far the worst song that Berry ever did. This writer’s picks, half of them, are denoted in the above list with “Recommended.” No matter what, it feels great to hear some of these lesser known Berry hits again like “Havana Moon” and “Brown Eyed Handsome Man.” Zito, as expected, delivers the vocals forcefully and soulfully. These are for the most part big-name guitarists who have their distinctive styles, many of which come through on the tunes. Forgive those who go just a bit over the top and others who are rather bland. You can probably guess who they are and if not, the absence of a denotation is a clue. The songs are just so classic that they hold up well, no matter which guitarist is playing. It’s the penultimate driving album for your car CD Player. Just be careful of that speed trap comin’ up.
—Jim Hynes
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