Dr. Duke Tumatoe & The Power Trio – You’ve Got The Problem

Best known now for his weekly appearances on the nationally syndicated "Bob & Tom" radio show, Dr. Duke has been filling blues-rock prescriptions live since his days as a founding member of REO Speedwagon in the late '60's. "You've Got The Problem!" is Duke at his zany best, skillfully mixing humorous songs with straight ahead power rockers.

Track Listing:
1. You've Got The Problem - 3:14   2. Real Mean Woman - 4:08   3. Don't Ask - 2:41   4. Trouble of My Own - 5:57   5. My Baby Is A Nudist - 3:56   6. Bad Day - 3:53   7. Be So Easy - 5:52   8. Mudcat Man - 5:10   9. Kid Stuff - 4:53   10. Moanin' After Blues - 2:53

Personnel:
Dr. Duke Tumatoe (vocals, guitar, percussion) , Mark Christopher Rohrman (bass, background vocals) , Toby Seiler (drums) , James Mitchell Hill (piano, Hammond B3 organ, background vocals)

Reviews:

1. AllMusic - Steve Leggett 
What sets Duke Tumatoe apart from the mob of contemporary guitarists who practice the blues these days is his sense of humor. He usually finds something to chuckle about in the barroom tales he spins, where the pain and misery on display is more often than not self-inflicted and just as often hilariously ironic, at least in Duke's view. Oh, he falls into the trap of tired blues clichés occasionally, which is pretty much endemic in the genre, but then he pops out with a song like "My Baby Is a Nudist" and all is forgiven. At some point when you're down and out you have to laugh to keep from crying, and that's apparently Dr. Tumatoe's philosophy. You've Got the Problem! doesn't break any new ground in this regard, mixing stock blues pieces with goof ball gems like the aforementioned "My Baby Is a Nudist" and the whiskey-drenched title tune, both of which would stand a chance on the country charts if the commercial music industry wasn't so darn divisional. Also worth mentioning here is the mostly acoustic "Mudcat Man" and the closing track, "Moanin' After Blues," which has a wonderful afterhours feel thanks to some jazzy trumpet lines from P.J. Yinger. Elsewhere the album plays by the numbers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there are approximately one thousand hard working but creatively challenged guitar slingers out there doing this exact sort of generic blues stuff, so it is a little disappointing when the Duke falls into the same bag. When he unleashes that delightfully wicked wit, though, he rises above the mob and becomes something special.

2. Chicago Sun-Times
"Solid musicianship and a fun-loving spirit." - 

3. Blues Revue
"For newcomers, Tumatoe's Blind Pig Debut, 'You've Got The Problem!', will serve as a fine introduction to his talent. The humorous title track opens the disc with a rollicking beat and Tumatoe's spirited vocals. But what really sets the number apart are its ornery lyrics, with their deliberately twisted take on romantic relations. Part of what makes Tumatoe's music enjoyable is that the humor extends beyond the lyrics to inform the music itself." - 

4. The Washington Post
 "Spreading cheer is one of the things Tumatoe does best on 'You've Got The Problem!', a 10-track CD streaked with a lighter shade of blues. The album's finger-pointing, tone setting title track kicks things off, with Tomatoe mounting a novel defense for bad behavior. In a field crowded with standard-issue blues, Tumatoe's twisted logic and comical takes are welcome, though he doesn't play everything for laughs. There's plenty of examples here of blues lessons well learned, including 'Enough Trouble Of My Own,' which showcases Tumatoe's roadhouse vocals and expressive slide guitar work. There are some routine instrumental interludes, too. But in the end, Tumatoe and the piano-driven Power Trio cover a lot of ground - from Chicago to New Orleans - with spirit, soul and trademark humor." -