Baltimore On Tap/Baltimore's Best Blues Bands by Various Artists

But there is one thing that Baltimore has hands down over Paris - THE BLUES. Blues musicians in Paris are perfunctory. They know the correct notes to play... but they play them with about as much passion as an arranged marriage.

Here in Baltimore the blues are gritty... the musicians make lots of mistakes... they get drunk, chase women... some are missing teeth... but when they're tearing into a riff, it makes you feel good.

We recently had the good fortune to meet Rudy Strukoff of Rude Dog's Rhythm Revue. Rudy, a Chicago native, has been in town for several years and taken it upon himself to collect samples from some of Baltimore best blues musicians. "While it can be said that not all of these players are completely sane," says Rude Dog, "the musicians on this compilation took the long hard road and did something noteworthy, they combined their talents and made a blues record that is guaranteed to keep you groovin' from beginning to end."

This weekend would be a good one, if you're interested, to sample the cool crisp Baltimore blues sound. We recommend you try: BALTIMORE ON TAP - Great Blues, Cheap!

P.S. The picture on the cover of the CD was taken from our favorite vantage point at the bar in the Cat's Eye Pub, Fell's Point.

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Peter "Blewsman" Lauro, Mary4Music.com, January 2005

Back when we first started doing reviews here at www.Mary4Music.com, most of the reviews were from relatively obscure bands. Over the years, although some quite famous people have also discovered us and have sought our help, we still pride ourselves in being a source for the Indie and local bands to get a little press. The bands think this is the greatest thing since amplifiers, but on the other hand, we also enjoy it. The best part of the whole thing is we get to hear music that a lot of the people may never get to hear, and lots of it is good stuff. Such is the case with BALTIMORE ON TAP, a twelve track CD featuring twelve of Baltimore's best blues bands.

Truthfully, picking out just a few songs off of BALTIMORE ON TAP was like looking for the heaviest crab on the table, although you know you'll like them all.

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Kat Dickinson, MUSIC MONTHLY, June 2003

As anyone who hangs out in the dusty, dank dives of Fells Point knows, mixed in with the spilled beer, stale retread conversation and quaint architecture, is the music, specifically the blues. I believe that music is the foundation of life. The blues embodies the heartache that comes after the highs and makes us long to take chances with our heart (sometimes foolishly) again and again. As such, the blues are the most important genres of music.

Rudy Strukoff, ringleader of Rude Dog's Rhythm Revue, has put together a compilation CD, BALTIMORE ON TAP, that highlights some of the best blues players on the scene. A dozen contemporary and standard tunes (with a hidden track for the avid listener) to sooth the savage beast in all of us. This is a great CD to throw on the player on a rainy, dreary day (or one of those lonely nights when you are missing the touch of someone special).

The players on this disk are too numerous to mention but they can all be seen and heard weekly somewhere in the Fells Point area of Baltimore. Remember to drink a shot of Old Grand Dad before you come out into the scary darkness to get your mojo workin', baby!

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Bradley Alston, The Blues Rag, May 2003

Rudy Strukoff has been a dynamic force in energizing the often-anemic blues scene. Local bands have been long on talent and short on career focus and promotional energy. Sometimes their knowledge of blues history was woefully short. Set lists were stale, practice was glowingly missing in performance and new venues for gigs were not investigated beyond Fells Point.

In Steps Chicago transplant, Rudy Strukoff (AKA Rude Dog). He is equal parts blues entrepreneur, musician advocate, talent scout and tireless promoter. He first came to our attention through his clever and attractive use of technology in promoting his own band, Rude Dog's Rhythm Revue. His sincerity, charisma, and friendly hulking presence engages even the most jaded local blues supporter or venue owner. So it was not a surprising when this excellent CD was handed to us at a live show.

Rudy produced BALTIMORE ON TAP for his fledgling label, LaChica Records. It is recorded and mixed by Dave Nachodsky of Invisible Sound Studios in Baltimore. The CD features 12 of Baltimore's best and brightest, recorded and showcased in a relaxed and professional direction. This is a great recording, I would put the production, song selection, originality and final output up against any major label release.

BALTIMORE ON TAP is the best showcase for the excellent local talent we have in Charm City that I've heard. Kudos to Rudy Strukoff for delivering a top-notch product for the rest of the world to enjoy!

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We are here to testify! These recordings are born of sweat and blood and come from the heart. So order this fine disk and help out some local (very local) artists.

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