Barrelhouse Chuck – Remembering The Masters

Forty years ago, Barrelhouse Chuck was a student of Chicago blues piano. But today Barrelhouse Chuck is a master in his own right, and he is carrying on the tradition that he learned directly from Little Brother Montgomery, Pinetop Perkins, Sunnyland Slim, Detroit Junior, and others. Barrelhouse Chuck melds these disparate styles into his own and no other Chicago piano player has been able to do this and have the same pedigree. On this disc Barrelhouse Chuck is joined by his long-time collaborator Billy Flynn, who is one of the best blues guitarists practicing his craft today, Lluis Coloma, who is Europe’s leading exponent of blues and boogie woogie piano, and Scott Grube, who plays traditional pre-war blues piano in Chicago. - Steven B. Dolins

Track Listing:
1. Homage to Pinetop Perkins - 3:21   2. How Much More - 2:56   3. Keep on Drinking - 2:37   4. I Forgot to Remember - 2:40   5. She’s Got a Thing Goin’ On - 2:08   6. Vicksburg Blues - 4:09   7. I Just Keep on Drinking - 3:14   8. Double D Boogie 1:40   9. Straight Alky Blues - 4:11   10. How About Me - 3:32   11. How Long, How Long Blues - 2:33   12. Stockyard Blues - 3:44   13. Chicago Blues - 3:11   14. ChuckaBilly Boogie - 2:16

Personnel:
Barrelhouse Chuck (piano, vocals) , Billy Flynn (guitar, mandolin) , Lluis Coloma (piano on 6) , Scott Grube (piano on 10)

Reviews:

1. www.lahoradelblues.com – January 2017
Sin duda uno de los más grandes y exquisitos pianistas del blues mas ortodoxo del estilo Chicago, además de ser una excelente persona, es el singular y entrañable Barrelhouse Chuck. A finales de los años setenta Chuck tuvo la oportunidad de conocer personalmente a Blind John Davis, Erwin Helfer, Pinetop Perkins, Detroit Junior, Sunnyland Slim y a su padre espiritual Little Brother Montgomery de quienes aprendió directamente todos los secretos y recursos del piano blues del estilo barrelhouse, estudiando al mismo tiempo a otros grandes maestros del género como Leroy Carr, Big Maceo u Otis Spann. Con este disco Chuck quiere rendir un sincero y sentido tributo y homenaje a todos aquellos grandes héroes que marcaron su vida y su carrera profesional, interpretando algunas de sus composiciones, canciones donde el espíritu de todos ellos planea sin tregua ni descanso. La magia y el talento de este enorme pianista florece a lo largo de todo el álbum, en el que ha contado con la colaboración de Billy Flynn a la guitarra y de sus amigos y excelentes pianistas Lluís Coloma en el tema “Vicksburg Blues”, con el propio Chuck cantando con el habitual respeto y sentida emoción de la que siempre hace gala, no sólo en este tema sino el resto de las canciones que se incluyen en el álbum, y Scott Grube en “How About Me”. Un disco imprescindible para cualquier aficionado al piano blues de Chicago. Gracias amigo Chuck, ya sabes que te queremos. IMPRESCINDIBLE.

Undoubtedly singular and well loved Barrelhouse Chuck is an excellent person and one of the greatest and most exquisite piano players of the most genuine Chicago blues style. At the end of the seventies Chuck could personally meet Blind John Davis, Erwin Helfer, Pinetop Perkins, Detroit Junior, Sunnyland Slim and his spiritual father Little Brother Montgomery. He learned all the secrets and resources of the piano blues and barrelhouse style directly from them, but he also studied other elder great masters as Leroy Carr, Big Maceo or Otis Spann. With this album Chuck wants to pay his most sincere and passionate tribute to all those great heroes that lasted a deep mark in his life and professional career, and he does it by playing some of their compositions, where the spirit of all them can be felt in every single note. The magic and talent of this amazing piano player flourish along the whole album, where he has counted with the valuable collaboration of Billy Flynn on guitar and his friends and excellent piano players Lluís Coloma in the song "Vicksburg Blues", where Chuck sings with the usual respect and heartbreaking feeling he communicates, not only in this particular tune but in the rest of songs included in the recording, and Scott Grube in the song "How About Me". This is an essential album for any Chicago blues piano fan. Thanks Chuck, you already know we really love you. ESSENTIAL

2. jazzaroundmag.com – Robert Sacré – 2017.04.10
« Barrelhouse Chuck » Goering est plus jeune que Helfer mais c’est un pianiste de la même trempe et d’un talent comparable (1). C’est son quatrième album pour le label The Sirens qui s’ajoutent ainsi à une discographie déjà bien étoffée (16 albums) sur une carrière de plus de 25 ans ! Il a été le disciple des géants du piano blues comme Leroy Carr, Blind John Davis, Big Maceo, Otis Spann, Sunnyland Slim, Little Brother Montgomery et Jimmy Walker, mais il a aussi subi l’influence d’autres bluesmen de légende, plus contemprains, comme Little Johnny Jones, Lafayette Leake, Detroit Junior, Big Moose Walker, Pinetop Perkins, Erwin Helfer etc. On retrouve ici tous leurs styles, tantôt conformes, tantôt amalgamés. Chuck est, en outre, un excellent chanteur ! Il bénéficie sur cet album du jeu tantôt subtil, tantôt extraverti mais toujours  prodigieusement en phase du guitariste et mandoliniste Billy Flynn (ex-Mississippi Heat) : à la mandoline dans le Keep On Drinking de Johnny Young (son mentor) et dans How Long Blues (Leroy Carr) et Chuckabilly Boogie,  et à la slide guitar dans le fabuleux Double D Boogie, à la guitare dans Chicago Blues (L.J. Jones), How Much More (J.B.Lenoir) etc. Sans oublier les compositions personnelles de Chuck comme Hommage To Pinetop Perkins, I forgot To Remeber et Chuckabilly Boogie. Tous ces titres sont de haut niveau, avec un goût de « revenez-y » ! On peut également signaler deux morceaux où le piano est tenu par d’autres spécialistes talentueux :  le Vicksburg Blues de L.B.Montgomery avec un guest Espagnol, Lluis Coloma et le How About Me d’Irving Berlin, avec Scott Grube.

(1)   Il est hélas décédé en  décembre 2016.