1.Pocket Full of Blues
2.Insurance Song
3.High Maintenance
4.Payin' for My Sins
5.Little Rock
6.Walkin' with The Lord
7.Life Behind the 8 Ball
8.Dangerous Man
9.Can I Count on Your Love?
10.Sugar Sandwich.

Personnel: 
Fat Danny Bennett- vocals, guitars
Doyle Smith- Hammond organ
Eric Brown- blues harp
Mike Burnes- drums
Greg Greenfield- bass, background vocals
Jacquie Sullivan- background vocals
Eddie Thierault- spoons

LIFE BEHIND THE 8 BALL is the third CD release from Fat Danny and Hard Tymz. Fat Danny Bennett is known as the High Desert Bluesman because he lives on the fringes of some of the most god-forsaken land in California. Danny's home on the edge of Edwards Air Force base suffers from some of the hottest days and coldest nights known to man. It's enough to give anybody the Blues. Danny and long-time drummer Mike Burnes grew up on the mean streets of LA's Frogtown, a place where if you weren't in jail by the age of 16, you weren't trying. Fat Danny inherited his love of the Blues from his Arkansas family. A family that had gone through the Depression and World War II listening to equal parts of the cryin'-in-your-beer music of the Louisiana Hayride and the deep Southern Blues of John R and the Hossman on WLAC radio.

LIFE BEHIND THE 8 BALL is Fat Danny's strongest offering to date. "Pocketful of Blues" kicks off the album with a powerful, hard-rockin' up tempo Blues. It never sinks to the indulgence of Blues Rock. Danny's work is always about the story and the song. He says, "It don't matter how great your guitar solo is, if you aren't telling a story people can relate to, you don't have a Blues song." "Insurance Song" has the lazy country shuffle feel of a Jimmy Reed classic. He's got a woman so good she's about to love him to death. "High Maintenance" is a little change of pace for the Hard Tymz. They move into the New Orleans funk territory of the Neville Brothers with a tongue-in-cheek story of a fellow who's gotten a little over his head with his jet-set girl friend. It brings a smile to my face cause we've all been there. After the light mood of "High Maintenance", "Payin' for My Sins" takes you to a completely different place. Harpmeister Eric Brown kicks off the mournful mood with some nice melodic lines. This tune has the feel of the classic Duke-Peacock recordings of the late 50's. Fat Danny reaches deep down into his soul and realizes (maybe too late?) that all the transgressions of his youth have consequences. "Little Rock" is a candidly autobiographical story of Danny's family. It pulls no punches about where he comes from and how he feels about it. It's got a little of the style of some of the best Southern Blues bands like the Allman Brothers. Ever had such a bummer of a day you didn't know if you could go on anymore? Danny takes us inside one of the worst days of his life after his Mother died. "Walkin' with the Lord" is appropriately mounted in a gospel setting with a background choir and a swirling Hammond organ. Danny and Mike Burnes show off their jazz chops in a gem of tune called "Dangerous Man". Danny's lyrics are sung in the first person of the town bad-ass. Mike B gives the tune an infectious laid-back groove. Eric and Doyle provide some nice tight solos. The title track of the CD, "Life Behind the 8 Ball" gives us a look inside the life of hard-workin' man who is trying to do what he feels is right and is still getting his ass kicked by the system. It contains a hidden tribute to Eric Brown's and Pam Bennett's departed fathers. "Can I Count On Your Love?" is a look back at the red-hot shuffles of the '20's and 30's. The inspiration for this tune was guitar virtuoso Nick Lucas. It takes you to the world of flappers, flasks of gin, and open roadsters. The last tune, "Sugar Sandwich", makes a perfect bookend for the album. I won't give away the narrative of the song, but if you didn't grow up poor, a sugar sandwich is a treat your momma made of butter, sugar, and two slices of bread. ---cdbaby.com

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01. Things Are Tough All Over [00:05:06]
02. Hoochie Mama [00:06:13]
03. Half A Man [00:03:17]
04. You Fit My Pistol [00:03:46]
05. Brown Paper Bag [00:07:56]
06. Born To Play The Blues [00:05:38]
07. The Guitar My Mama Bought Me [00:06:05]
08. Blues Got A Hold Of Me [00:05:48]
09. You Cant Never Trust No One [00:05:27]
10. Too Ugly For Memphis [00:05:47]

It is interesting to note that the …Hard Tymz Blues Band… is one of the oldest Los Angeles Blues bands still in existence. The Hard Tymz were started in 1975 by Danny Bennett. The name of the band comes from the depression-era Charles Bronson movie about a tough New Orleans streetfighter.

Fat Danny Bennett - Vocals, Lead guitar, Slide guitar. “The High Desert Bluesman”, Fat Danny Bennett, is the heart and soul of the Hard Tymz. He writes and sings all of the original material. Danny’s songs come directly from his life. The good, the bad, the ups and the downs. Danny says, “Sing the Blues? Hell, I’m living the Blues.” A multi-talented instrumentalist, Danny counts Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Link Wray, and all the “Kings” among his influences.

Doyle Smith - Hammond organ & Electric piano. Born about 20 miles from where Robert Johnson played his last gig, Doyle hails from Leflore County Mississippi. He honed his blues chops playing on the Barbeque joints and Elks Clubs on the chitlin’ circuit throughout the Deep South. Influences include Billy Preston, Marvell Thomas, Carson Whitsett, and Booker T.

Jay “ Lips “ Schermer - Blues harp and Tambourine. Jay was raised up in North Hollywood California. In 1970 he sold his hoopti and traveled throughout Europe for three months., One day while Germany he bought his first Hohner Harmonica and has been hooked ever since. Jay loves playing the Blues most of all and especially with Fat Danny and the Hard Tymz blues band. Influences – James Cotton, John Mayall, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf. ---last.fm

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