DON’T FIGHT IT 2011 CD

The brand new blues album by Tom Rigney and Flambeau is out!!. This great new disc follows up Tom’s critically acclaimed 2009 disc, “Back Porch Blues”, which climbed all the way to the Number 1 spot on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio’s Bluesville Channel! This disc is a rockin’ new addition to the Flambeau catalog and features a lot of new original material and a few classics, as well.

The repertoire covers a wide range of blues styles, from straight ahead Chicago blues (Little Walter’s “Just Your Fool”), to Swamp Blues (Rigney’s “Bonjour Tristesse”, a song that he wrote for Queen Ida), to Memphis-style R and B (the title track “Don’t Fight It”, a Rigney original with an irresistibly catchy chorus, and the Hank Ballard classic, “Teardrops on Your Letter”, sung brilliantly on this disc by bassist Steve Parks), to Boogie Woogie (Caroline Dahl’s incendiary “Caroline’s Boogie”), to several new instrumental pieces by Rigney that feature his soulful, expressive violin playing (“Snakewalk”, “The Clown and the Stripper”, and “Blues for Vassar”).

This new disc showcases Tom Rigney’s original songs and instrumental compositions, and includes several brand new pieces in the Flambeau repertoire. Rigney’s violin sings the blues with passion and virtuosity, from the relentless drive of “Adeline Shuffle” and “Bonjour Tristesse” to the soaring and soulful melody lines of “Snakewalk” and “Rigo’s Blues”.

Throughout the album, the interaction between Rigney and his great band is gutsy and exciting. Guitarist Danny Caron and pianist Caroline Dahl are featured on numerous tunes and their playing is electrifying. The rhythm section of Steve Parks on bass and Brent Rampone on drums lay down some seriously deep grooves, from the sinuous “Snakewalk” to the jumpin’ “Treat Me Like a Dog”, from the hard-driving “Adeline Shuffle” to the badass, get-your-butt-off-the-couch-and-shake-something-loose of “The Funky Gator”. If you can resist these grooves, you better have someone check your pulse!

“Don’t Fight It” is a great addition to the Tom Rigney and Flambeau discography, and a major new blues album by a true American original.