Keepin' It Real

Keepin' It Real

Editorial Reviews
<"b0002198tg7499"> Amazon.com
It's pretty rare for a harmonica player to be a breakout success, but it seems as though Rod Piazza could do it with Keepin’ It Real. It's a perfect synthesis in every way: his Chicago-meets-West Coast style offers a canny blend of songwriting and musicianship, originals and covers. The Mighty Flyers hum along like a well-oiled machine with plenty of chances to shine. The appropriately titled "Big Blues Party" kicks things off right, and songs like "Good Morning Little School Girl," "Baby Please Don't Go," and "Pretty Thing" are handled with both freshness and a respect for tradition; the original songs are brimming with energy. Piazza, a multiple Handy winner who consistently draws comparisons to the masters, has the necessary invention and versatility for mainstream success. --Genevieve Williams

<"b0002198tg5020"> New York Times
"Piazza has perfected the rough drive and edgy tone that characterized the classic Chicago Blues sound."

<"b0002198tg4999"> Album Description
Rod Piazza, considered one of the preeminent harmonica players around, has become a commanding presence at the forefront of today’s blues scene. Along with his skin-tight band of the last quarter century, Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers have won the prestigious "Best Blues Band of The Year" W.C. Handy Award three times along the way. Speaking of the new album, Piazza told Blueswax, "It's a happening record, one of the toughest and best I've ever done. Part of it is that so many of the songs were recorded live in the studio in one take, but another part is that because we've been doing these songs live, we've really had a chance to learn how to react to each other's playing."