Cab Driver Blues by Big Gilson

" Guitar Player Magazine - February / 99

"... Good guitar work and nice slide..." Bruce Iglauer - Alligator Records - 96

"...The king of the slide guitar..." A Tarde- Salvador, Bahia - 2001

"...Big Gilson is an excellent guitarist as well as a splendid slide guitarist and a fine song writer in addition. He plays a scorching electric slide.

"Cab Driver Blues" features Big Gilson and his Dallas based rhythm section "Blues Dynamite" of Bobby Chitwood on bass and Tyrone Starks on drums, along with Alan Ghreen on keyboards rounding out the regular band. Add to these talented musicians, appearances by legendary guitarist Bugs Henderson, the multi talented Kenny Neal, and some harp from Hash Brown and you have the makings of a very enjoyable set indeed. The eleven tracks on this set are all Big Gilson originals and include a lot of his scorching electric slide. Somewhat due to the presence of his Dallas based rhythm section, the CD at times has a Texas feel to it, and other times there is more of a Latin flavoring present. It matters not, as it is all good. I particularly liked the title track, "Hey Doc", an instrumental "Big G Billy", which includes Bugs Henderson on second guitar, "Ice Cream Woman" which includes some excellent keyboard work compliments of Alan Ghreen, and "Jammin' in Big D" which includes all of the above along with some tasty harp from Hash Brown and vocals from Cricket Taylor (who would not like that name for a blues singer?).

Watch for great things to come in the future from this very fine artist..." Tom Branson (Bluesrockers)

Liner Notes:

When the average fan thinks of hotbeds of the blues, he or she thinks of cities like Chicago, Austin, and Memphis, and even such far-flung outposts as London and Paris. That's all set to change, however, as this red-hot Brazilian, guitarist Big Gilson is poised to put Rio de Janeiro on the blues map.

He was born in Rio in 1959, and plays guitar since the age of 15, when he first time listen to a Johnny Winters record, and decided what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

A founding member of the wildly successful Brazilian blues-rock quintet Big Allanbik (Portuguese for "Big Whiskey Still") Gilson and Co. have released four CDs in their native country, and honed their chops the last six years giging on their own (in Brazil and America) and as the opening act for Steve Winwood on his Brazilian tour, Johnny Rivers (70.000 people audience), and master B.B. King on his most recent tour of Brazil. While touring America, and giging at such clubs as Miami's Tobacco Road, New York's Blue Note, and all over Chi-town, the band knocked out such blues gods as Duke Robillard, Lonnie Brooks, and Buddy Guy, who extended the Boys from Brazil an open invitation to play his Legends Club anytime.

After a successful US Tour (NY, Washigton., Maryland, and Texas) last Feb. and March, when he played in such important places as THE BLUE NOTE - NY and KENNEDY CENTER in DC, now Big Gilson is joined on his second solo album CAB DRIVER BLUES - by a crisp Dallas rhythm section, "The Blues Dynamite" - Bobby Chitwood on bass and Tyrone Starks behind the traps- along with special guests such as the lusciously sultry vocalist Cricket Taylor and Big D harpmeister Hash Brown. Three titanic axe-men, Lone Star legend Bugs Henderson, Mr. Bad News From Baton Rouge himself, Kenny Neal, and Texas guitar slinger Holland K. Smith also drops in to lay down some cool licks. There is a tangible Texas feel to the album and most on the sizzling shuffle "Big G. Billy".

Cab Driver Blues was released the spring of 2000 in North America on the TopCat Records blues label.

Gilson rips through this CD as well as his live performances as if his heart (and fingers) were on fire. After hearing this CD, with the growling slide riff at the intro of the title track, and after seeing him live, you'll know that this is some hot bluesman. Not hot Brazilian bluesman, mind you, but hot bluesman period.

Stylistically, his performances range from gutbucket electric blues to blues-rock with stops in New Orleans and Memphis.

There are lots of bands out there, in America and around the world , who play the blues. They py the blues but you can tell they don't feel the blues. Big Gilson is most definitely not one of those bands. This boy may hail from Rio, but he plays like he was born and raised in South Oak Cliff, and there is no higher testament a native Texan and lifelong blues freak can give.

John Nova Lomax - Music Independent Magazine, Houston-Texas.

Discography:

Big Allanbik:

* Blues Special Reserve - Top Cat Brasil

* Black Coffee - Eldorado

* batuque y blues - Velas / Eldorado

* batuque y blues - Blues Beacon - Enja Records - Munich

* Destilado Ao Vivo - Top Cat Brasil

Solo:

* Big Gilson & Alan Ghreen - Yellow Mojo Blues - Eldorado

* Big Gilson & Alan Ghreen - Cab Driver Blues - Top Cat Brasil

* Big Gilson & Blues Dynamite - Cab Driver Blues - TopCat Records Dallas - TX

* Big Gilson with Bruce Ewan & The Solid Senders - Live At The Blue Note - TopCat Brasil.

With Others:

* Elétrika Tribo: Elétrika Tribo - Camerati

* Hanoi Hanoi: Credus - Spotlight

* Celso Blues Boy: Indiana Blues - Spotlight

* Celso Blues Boy: Nuvens Negras Choram - Velas / Eldorado

* Macabu : Izirráider de Bicicleta - Top Cat Brasil (producer and musician on the track You Don't Love Me)

* Suburblues

* Victor Biglione: In Blues Rock - Top Cat Brasil

* Alan Ghreen

* Ismael de Carvalho

Average Customer Review: