Great Con Job – Review by Rhythms Magazine

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Rhythms Magazine – August 2011 Edition:

 

There’s been a lot of water under the bridge since The Bellhops’ previous release No Reservations but this CD, recorded live at Goulburn, NSW in 2010, has been worth the wait.

A multi award-winning six-piece Sydney outfit, The Bellhops are prime exponents of ’40s era jump/swing, ’50s rock’n’roll, and ’60s blues and R&B, as this album attests. And what is patently obvious is how well these cats know there stuff, seamlessly blending original songs with their own arrangements of classics by BB King, The Robins, Albert King, Ma Rainey, Howling Wolf, Rufus Thomas and Elvis Presley.

Lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ian Dittman sings in a smooth, effortless style backed by the potent lead and slide guitar prowess of John Russell, the deep grooves of bass player Mark Roulston and drummer Steve Lovarini, and the low register bursts of their two-part reed section the Brassholes. The warm, well balanced soundscape is peppered with light and shade dynamics, sturdy harmonies and scorching solos from Russell, tenor sax player Stephen O’Connell and baritone saxophonist Ed Schots.