1.  Too Poor To Die 6:47
2.  Knockin’ At Your Door 8:04
3.  I Wonder Why 7:44
4.  Down And Out In Texas 6:27
5.  Don’t Do It 4:18
6.  Oh My Baby’s Gone 3:43
7.  Say Your Prayers 5:25
8.  Are You Experienced 6:36

Jim Suhler - guitar, vocals
Alan Haynes - guitar, vocals
Carlton Powell - bass
Paul Hollis - drums

You can count on Jim Suhler and Alan Haynes to do vigorous and exciting music. This live set was recorded at the Blue Cat Blues club in Dallas’ Deep Ellum district. It has none of the studio touch-up work that’s fashionable on many albums that purport to be “live”. On bass and drums respectively are Carlton Powell and Paul Hollis, a famously solid rhythm section that regularly backs Suhler.

The kickoff cut is “Too Poor To Die”, the chunka-chunk rhythm of which hosts as sardonic and macabre a lyric as the version of “Black Cat Bone” by the poet laureate of Texas death music, Lightnin’ Hopkins. The tune has tons of slashing, volcanic slide. A slide swap meet of epic proportion brings on “Knockin’ On My Door”, a hard-hitting shuffle. Suhler sings the former song, Haynes the latter. Another audience fave is Suhler’s reworking of psychedelic bluesmaster Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?”. It’s replete with requisite feedback and sonic weirdness wrought not from a Strat, as you’d expect but from of all things, a National steel acoustic guitar!

So, kick back and imagine yourself at a stage-side table at the Blue Cat. slam a beer. Slam another. and there you are, in Texas, set for an immersive, knock-out blues experience with Jim Suhler and Alan Haynes. ---Tim Schuller, jimsuhler.com

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01. Panther Burn (4:11)
02. I Declare (4:20)
03. Across The Brazos (5:07)
04. Leave My Blues Behind (3:26)
05. I See You (3:24)
06. Remember Mama (1:55)
07. Texassippi (4:19)
08. Sky’s Full of Crows (4:47)
09. Between Midnight and Day (3:29)
10. Dinosaur Wine (3:13)
11. Amen Corner (0:54)
12. All God’s Children Get the Blues Sometimes (3:23)
13. Jump up Sister (2:21)
14. Worldwide Hoodoo (3:48)

Jim Suhler - Bass, Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Tim Alexander - Accordion, Organ, Piano
Ray Benson - Vocals
Beau Chadwell - Drums
Jason Elmore - Guitar
Galen Jeter - Trumpet
Ron Jones - Saxophone
Buddy Mohmed - Bass
Jamal Mohmed - Percussion
Jimmy Morgan - Drums
Shawn Phares - Organ
Carlton Powell - Bass
Kevin Schermerhorn - Drums
Kim Wilson - Harmonica
Carolyn Wonderland – Vocals

Dallas native Jim Suhler may not be a household name, but whether you know his name or not, you have heard his work before. His awesome guitar skills have enabled him to share the stage with the biggest names in the business, including Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Willie Nelson, AC/DC, Les Paul, Billy Gibbons and Joe Bonamassa. But his bread and butter for the past fifteen years has been his rhythm guitar gig with George Thorogood and the Destroyers — he has appeared on all of their albums since 1999 and toured with the band all over the world.

Despite these demands for his time he also keeps very busy with his own band, Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat. Panther Burn is his fifth release, and it is a well-polished tour through all that the Texas blues scene has to offer. Its 14 tracks include 13 originals and one special cover tune. Suhler takes on many of the vocal and guitar chores and is joined by a bevy of talent, including Monkey Beat members Shawn Phares on organ, Carlton Powell on bass and Beau Chadwell on drums (former member Jimmy Morgan also contributes his drum work to a few tracks). Special guests include Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, Carolyn Wonderland and Jason Elmore.

The title track kicks off the record, and “Panther Burn” is a slow swamp rocker with an intense mood. There is a lot going here, with Tim Alexander filling in on organ and Suhler stacking up layers of guitars, to which he adds healthy servings of conventional electric and delta slide guitar breaks. This song has a very modern sound while still capturing the raw feel of the Gulf States music. The mood changes drastically for the next song, “I Declare,” which is a hard-hitting roadhouse boogie with righteous honkytonk piano alongside Wilson’s fine harp work.

There is a lot more accordion on Panther Burn than you will find on most blues albums, and in this case it is used effectively to change up genres on a few of the tracks. Alexander’s squeeze box lends a Tex-Mex feel to “Across the Brazos”, a country sound to the super-fun “Texassippi,” and Cajun flavor to “Jump up Sister.” The accordion is not just for polka and norteño music, my friends!

There also is a touch of gospel influence to be found on Panther Burn. “Amen Corner” is less than a minute of Suhler on electric guitar and Alexander on the super-fat church organ. This song serves as an introduction to “All God’s Children Get the Blues Sometime” with guest vocals from Wonderland and Benson. This is old-time gospel blues, and the sweet vocals (and Jim’s steel guitar) will put a smile on your face.

Part way through the album Jim Suhler pulls back the curtain and gives his fans a glimpse of his personal struggle with the loss of his daughter twelve years ago in a traffic accident. Even without knowing this back story, “I See You” is a touching love story that is sung with conviction and it is a beautifully written and performed tribute to Brittany.

The sole cover is “Remember Mama,” which was written by the legendary Elmer Bernstein for the soundtrack of the film, To Kill a Mockingbird. This instrumental is barely two minutes long, and it is set against a sparse background of piano and organ. Suhler uses many guitar textures and tones to set up a melodic slide guitar interlude. It is a shame this song was not a little longer, as it is a really nice piece of work!

The album finishes up with “Worldwide Hoodoo” which is a red-hot blues rocker with funk-based rhythm guitar and bass. This fast-paced tune gives the listener one last chance to hear Suhler’s guitar prowess, and it is a final reminder that he has serious songwriting and production skills too – this is about as tight as things can get.

Everything in the Lone Star State is bigger, and so is its music. Texas blues has influences that range from country, western swing, gospel to Tex-Mex, and Panther Burn incorporates all of these flavors and more. Jim Suhler is a consummate professional and ties all of these influences together into a cohesive unit, with the end result being his best effort to date. If you love guitar blues you owe it to yourself to give it a listen! --- bluesblastmagazine.com

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01. Where Were You When The Lights Went Out? [02:51]
02. Deja Blue [03:54]
03. Ain't Comin' Home Tonight [03:48]
04. Snake Hips [04:32]
05. Prayin' For Rain [05:12]
06. Little Boy Blue [04:16]
07. Blame It On Love [03:40]
08. Snake Bit [04:04]
09. U Gotta Move [05:32]
10. Starvation Box [05:17]
11. Chupacabra [03:27]
12. Shotgun Shack [04:31]
13. Love Ain't Enough [04:49]
14. Don't Stand Still [05:28]
15. Shake [04:22]
16. Radio Mojo [03:33]
17. Lonesome Dog Blues [03:24]

Tim Alexander 	- Accordion, Keyboards
Paul Hollis - Composer, Drums, Percussion
Carlton Powell 	- Bass, Composer, Vocals (Background)
Jim Suhler  - Guitar, Vocals

For a change, here is a best-of collection that is 17 cuts of dynamic music, instead of two or three well-known songs and a bunch of filler tracks. This is truly almost 73 minutes of some of the most innovative blues from Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat. Whether it is the best is going to vary depending on individual taste; however, there is not a weak cut out of the 17 included. This is Suhler and some of his friends playing the electrified blues in a manner that very much brings the music alive and takes his brand of blues played with Monkey Beat to a different level. He also plays with most of this same crew in a more acoustic country mode, and there the blues are just as vibrant, although more low-key and quiet. Give a listen to "Love Ain't Enough." Here the playing is more hard-driving, and what you might call cruise-control music. Consider yourself warned: if you are playing this in the car and you aren't on cruise control, you could be pulled over and given a ticket for either speeding or driving erratically. This disc features songs with a diversity in both tempo and feel; from the slow pushing blues of "Prayin' for Rain" and the incendiary slide work on "Little Boy Blue" to the long open-road vistas of "Deja Blue," this disc contains some of the tightest playing around. Suhler's slide guitar work can stand up with most anyone playing today, and Monkey Beat is one expressive blues band. Of the 17 songs, Suhler wrote or co-wrote 14 of them. He included one each by Robert Johnson, Elmore James, and Sam Hopkins to show how he was shaped and to pay tribute. A disc that should not be missed by blues fans and those who just love energetic, well-played music that speaks a truth. ---Bob Gotlieb, allmusic.com

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