& HOLLYWOOD FATS BAND
(7CD)
BIOGRAPHY
Since arriving on Delta Groove The Hollywood Blue Flames have been
hailed as the true torch bearers of classic blues in the modern age.
Their unyielding and steadfast dedication to the art form has set the
benchmark standard by which all other musicians must strive towards in
order to obtain mastery within the traditional blues genre. The band’s
original inception dates back to the early 1970’s with the formation
of the Hollywood Fats Band, led by the brilliant, first-rate guitarist
Michael “Hollywood Fats” Mann.
Their one and only album, the self-titled “Hollywood Fats Band”
released on PBR Records in 1979, laid the blueprint for modern day era
West Coast Blues and is widely considered a landmark album of the
genre.
Following Fats’ premature death in 1986, the band laid dormant until
the release of “Mr. Blake’s Blues” on Blue Collar Records in 1997.
Released under the banner of Big Al Blake & The Hollywood Fats Band,
the recording reunited all four surviving members of the Hollywood Fats
Band including Al Blake, Fred Kaplan, Larry Taylor and Richard Innes,
along with top-flight guitarists Kid Ramos and Junior Watson.
Years later, upon hearing the young emerging guitar virtuoso Kirk
“Eli” Fletcher, Blake rechristened the band as The Hollywood Blue
Flames and incorporated the blossoming talents of this promising new
guitarist. Their 2005 Delta Groove debut “Soul Sanctuary” received
unanimous praise and earned a Blues Music Award nomination for
Comeback Album of the Year.
A sophomore release, “Road To Rio,” soon followed, surpassing critics and fan expectations alike as the band delivered another solid effort, only this time with the inclusion of a bonus disc containing previously unheard live performances of the original Hollywood Fats Band.
A sophomore release, “Road To Rio,” soon followed, surpassing critics and fan expectations alike as the band delivered another solid effort, only this time with the inclusion of a bonus disc containing previously unheard live performances of the original Hollywood Fats Band.
The Hollywood Blue Flames were again recognized by another Blues
Music Award nomination honoring them with Historical Album of the
Year. “Road To Rio” also landed the #5 spot on Living Blues Magazine’s
Top 50 Blues Recordings of 2006.