Frankie Maneiro, Harrison Foti; Frankie Boy & The Blues Express; The Porch
Frankie Boy & The Blues Express performed their every forth Wednesday night residency at The Porch in Medford last night. The trio, consisting of Frank Maneiro, Mickey Maguire, and Harrison Foti showed why they’ve become much more than just another blues bar band. They played with such soulful conviction that managed to connect with their audience, impress with their abilities, all while maintaining their own individual sound. As Christmas was the first anniversary of legendary blues man, Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson’s passing, the trio played a good handful of Johnson’s own original songs. Johnson was a mentor and best friend to Maneiro and Maguire.
The trio jumped right into the game with real down and dirty blues guitar, so smooth and tasteful one could eat it. “Sugar Too,” by Jonson, found Frankie Boy pressing out some jumpy chords within his jittery phrase. The energy bounding inside the music made one feel that they were having a lot of fun pumping out that bounce.
The Boy pealed off some flashy licks while he delivered his drawling vocal on Johnson’s “Stranded.” By the time the trio got to their forth number, “Guitar Jr.,” one could feel one’s soul dancing around inside one’s body. Usually, it’s the feet that get motivated by the groove. This trio reaches deep inside themselves, pull out a pulse of blues, then serve it up to their audience. Hence, the thump coming from the rhythm section and the guitar chords hopping over it made the dancing happen deep inside.
Bass player Mickey Maguire sung lead vocal on the Johnson penned easy grooving “Come Baby,” showcasing an emotive depth in his voice. The trio went into 1950s Chicago blues feeling with “Flippin’ and Floppin,”punctuating with speedy guitar riffing, quick low end pacing, and steady skin smacking. Such frenetic playing recreated the urgency fishermen feel when they reel in a live one.
“Mary Had A Little Lamb,” an old blues number played by many in the genre, gave the trio a chance to show what new things they could do with it. Briskly paced, with a drum solo at the end, kept all in suspense, especially the solo. Nobody could guess what drummer Harrison Foti would do next. He would hit more frequently heavily accented notes before suddenly slowing his tempo with gentler work.
Sarah Nova, guesting with Frankie Boy & The Blues Express
Frankie Boy played some interesting curlicue guitar phrases to express the joy of Aretha’s “Baby, I Love You.” He zipped through sharp, accented notes, notes dared the rhythm boys to keep up, and they did.
The down tempo number, “I’m Going Back Where I Belong,” by Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson was a breather in between the rowdier songs. Yet, it was just as driven, with a forceful chorus, a whistling guitar phrase, and a muscular authority in the groove. Other moments found the trio showcasing other qualities. Some numbers displayed how they can shade a song with a hip attitude and an old fashioned vibe.
The trio’s own “Hey There Anayah” featured Frankie Boy’s sweetest guitar phrase of the evening. His line practically sang out the besotted love’s devotion as much as his vocal. The trio’s chemistry could be best seen when they played “Who Knows” by Band Of Gypsies. They each offered something cool to the interplay in this early fusion of blues and funk.
During intermission Boston singer and keyboardist Sarah Nova showed up with a keyboard. So, during the second set the trio threw her into the show for good measure. Nova maintained a low key weep as Mickey Maguire sang Keb Mo’s “Somebody Hurt You” with his deep low tenor. It was a perfect balance of pressure, strong voice versus emotive keys.
Mickey Maguire, bass, Frankie Boy & The Blues Express
During “Gangster Of Love,” Frankie Boy unfurled some sorrowful notes that fit neatly onto the rhythm section’s deeply felt groove. Nova’s keyboard work laid out a slightly more tender line which also fitted in perfectly, making one thick wedge of tasteful playing.
“Keep Your Hands Off It,” a Nova original about people keeping their hands to themselves, let Frankie Boy play a chirpy guitar phrase as plaintive as Nova’s soft, quiet voice, another song they worked out with the right feeling. Nova played a more rigorous soul on the trio’s original “Lose My Cool.” It’s a good thing Nova found nice boys to play with. Frankie Boy had the steam to match the power of her work with his own zippy guitar lines.
Original tune and Foti’s favorite, “Anna,” sounded like an old blues classic with lyrics about reading The Bible and a guy’s girl coming back to him. Another original, “Talkin’ About Soul,” had a stomping groove that got more people dancing. Its strutting guitar that jived with the groove kept people moving with its heaviness. Nova’s bubbly organ line put a fine finish on the piece.
“I Hear You Knockin’ inspired the dancers to do their thing and original “Engine Number Nine” combined blues with funk to further the train influence with a driving motion.
Frankie Boy And The Blues Express had given it their all throughout last night. Their personal magic is to connect with the feel of the blues and bring it forth for their audience.
www.frankieboy&thebluesexpress.com
