Brad Vickers learned on the job playing with America's blues & roots masters: Now his own group, The Vestapolitans, offer a good-time mix of originals and covers spanning blues, ragtime, hill country breakdowns, and more great rock 'n' roots music!

15 MP3 Songs in this album (60:14) !
Related styles: Blues: Rockin' Blues, Blues: Jump Blues, Featuring Guitar

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Special guest guitarist Bobby Radcliff has this to say about Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans and "Traveling Fool":

Sometimes I forget how much I loved those old albums from the â60s: J. B. Lenoir and Lowell Fulsonâs Chess recordings with the horns slightly out of key (which I adore)ânot to mention all my old Blind Lemon Jefferson, Texas Henry Thomas, etc. albums on those funky 78-rpm-to-disc re-issue labels back then.

I canât think of many artists today that can get the kind of raw, direct punch that was so evident in the âold mastersâ. For some reason, Brad Vickers does capture it. And the best part is that his music never sounds âmanufactured to sound authenticâ. Bradâs music doesnât have the glossy high-tech veneer that too many artists utilize to âsound like the great artists of oldâ. This recording, his 3rd release on CD, is the obvious choice if you want to experience first-rate American blues/R&B music, and its related tributaries.

Bradâs vocal delivery always stays firm in a laconic, easy-going manner. Iâm reminded at times of Fats Domino via Bill Monroe, but thatâs an oversimplification. Brad is his own man both vocally and in his instrumental technique. Much of his guitar work is the direct result of his use of open E tuning rather than standard Spanish. This actually gives him a bit of an edge over some of his musical peers. I am always blown away by the unusual tone variations and colors he achieves. Believe me, as a practicing picker myself, you will not get certain odd inflections and subtle pitch/interval variations with standard guitar tuning. All of this adds up to some extremely nasty guitar sounds!

Of particular note, I should add, is the equal importance of his Vesapolitans line-up: Bill Rankin on percussion; Margey Peters, who adds her rich and sonorous playing on bass and fiddle; the great Jim Davis on clarinet and tenor saxophone; Matt Cowan on baritone saxophone; and one of my favorite guitar (and piano!) pickers, Arne Englund. The estimable V.D. King also makes an appearance with this fine ensemble.

I canât say enough about Dave Grossâs production on this CD. As a guest myself on this session, I had the opportunity to observe him in the production/engineer capacities. All I can say is this: I had one of the best times in years being involved with the making of this recording. A great captain at the helm always gets the best out of musicians. Iâd put him up with my favorites, Hammond Scott (Black Top), Peter K. Siegal, and Chris Matheos. All of this said, if youâre in the mood to spend some time listening and dancingâdonât forget, Mister Vickers is a rocker to the core!âto some downright incredibly hip music, then slap this in your favorite player and tear it up!
âBobby Radcliff, January, 2011

Here's What Reviewers have said about Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans' Other Great CDs:

âBrad Vickers & His Vestapolitans deliver another batch of honest, irresistible bluesâ
âTom Hyslop, BLUES REVUE

âGets better each time you listen.â
âRichard Thomas, BLUES MATTERS

âPlenty of instrumental sass by way of Vickersâ astute acoustic picking and sax man Jim Davisâ sonic strutâ¦â
âMark Uricheck, LIVING BLUES

âIntelligent, lofty, & very â30s Jazz-Ragtime!â
âAndre Hobus, SOULBAG

âFew bands can cover more than a half-century of blues styles and give each its own authentic reincarnation. This sets Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans apart from every other blues band in the land.â
âRoger & Margaret White, BIG CITY BLUES

âSeduces you from the first songs, scores a direct hit!â
âMarcie Geukens, ROOTSTIME

âOne of the most uninhibited, original works of these years!â
âEduardo Fassio, IL BLUES

âNew York based singer/guitarist Brad and his versatile group impressed me with their debut âLe Blues Hotâ, they do it again with their new releaseâ
âNorman Darwin, BLUES & RHYTHM

ââStuck With The Bluesâ is another winner that will be welcome in any blues fanâs collection.â
âGraham Clarke, BLUES BYTES

âSeveralâmake that manyâreplays were in order hereâ¦The disc closes out with an all-out jam called âIâm A Love Youâ. On this one, itâs Brad on top of his game with the guitar.â
âPeter âBlewzzmanâ Lauro, MARY4MUSIC

âA CD by a fabulous musician!â
âPrzemek Draheim, RADIO SFERA

âThey are the real deal blues-early-rock-and-roll torch carriers...a consistent, danceable, boogie-woogie, foot-tapping, thigh-slapping cacophony on every track.â
âBelinda Foster, ILLINOIS BLUES BLAST

âHighest praise! 5 Stars!â
âMladen Loncar, SOUNDGUARDIAN.COM

âFresh-astounding-amazing and unusual!â
âAlain Mallaret, BIG BEAT

âA great sound, and a lot of fun, spirited tunes. It will get a lot of airtime.â
âBill Nolan, WPKN/WPKM

âOutstanding musicians!â
âVincent Zumel, LâHORA del BLUES

âBrilliant and wide-ranging, âStuck With The Bluesâ is a perfect sequel to the amazing âLe Blues Hotââ
âRoberto Rossi, RADIO PNR

âWould add magic to any party. The interpretations never lose their footing bringing genuine warmth and emotion to the rich mix of tunes.â
âMik the Who, DUBLIN CITY RADIO

âOne of my favorites of the year!â
âOlivia Greene, WWOZ