Sonny Rhodes - A Good Day To Play The Blues (2001)

01- Big Bag O' Blues 							play
02- Love and Harmony
03- She's Not Happy Unless She's Sad 
04- Driving Two Ways On A One-Way Street 
05- Honey Do Woman 
06- Ten Pounds of Love (In a Five-Pound Sack) 
07- I Bleed Blue 
08- If the Blues Fits, Wear It 					play
09- I Wanna Get Your Boogie 
10- Win-Win Situation 
11- Good Man, Good Woman 
12- Monkey See, Monkey Do 
13- Good Day To Sing and Play The Blues (Van Fire Blues)

Musicians:
Sonny Rhodes - Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Vocals
Ace Moreland - Guitar
Bob Greenlee, Anthony Mitchell - Bass
Ronnie Foster, Theo Brown - Drums
Juan Perez - Percussion
Doug Bare, Steve Leigh - Keyboards
Blair Parrish, Anthony Mitchell - Background Vocals
Bill 'Foots' Samuel, Charlie Dechant, David Weaver – Horns

Sonny Rhodes is a performer who believes in giving his all with every show, and when you see this turbaned performer in one of his bright suits you won't be disappointed. Although a strong effort, this disc suffers from some inconsistent material for him to let loose and really play the blues. He was born and raised in Texas, and you can hear that in his vibrant playing; however, he lived for years in the Bay Area and thus was exposed to and influenced by a wide variety of influences. His lap steel playing is sharp, gritty, and at times stinging to the bone. His vocals display his strong Texas upbringing; he played behind Albert Collins and Freddie King when he was younger, and these roots are exposed at their most basic in his phrasing. The material here (he wrote or co-wrote eight of the 13 cuts) is not weak -- it is just not as strong and animated throughout as the session during which he recorded Blue Diamond, which was as sharp, cutting, and balanced a performance as watching a fine cutting horse work his magic on the poor hapless cow. The music here is good, but he set a benchmark for himself, and he doesn't quite reach up to it on this one (though for anyone else it would be considered a great effort). This is a showman you truly have to see live to appreciate. The consummate showman can play the blues. ---Bob Gottlieb

Sonny Rhodes made a string of solid recordings at King Snake Studios in Florida and `Good Day to Play the Blues' was the final before the death of producer/bass player Bob Greenlee. Like his other Greenlee produced sets this one is a varied set with plenty of lap steel and lead guitar playing from Rhodes. There are a few weak song selections but there are some terrific ones as well. "She's Not Happy Unless She's Sad" is a smoldering slow blues with terrific lap steel playing, while "I Wanna Get Your Boogie" is a party-anthem style rocker. "Honey-Do Woman" and "Good Man, Good Woman" are basic shuffles with nice lap steel playing and singing. The title track is a thank you to all of the people who helped him out when he and his band had a van accident. Sonny Rhodes is one of the more versatile bluesmen playing today and so his album's are always a delight and something to look forward to. While this cd is not as solid as his previous ones 'Blue Diamond' or 'Born to be Blue', it is still a fine showcase for this very talented and entertaining bluesman. ---Sam Mosley "The Junkyard Junky" (Toronto, Ontario)

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