Monday, October 20, 2008

Reap What You Sow


The Mighty Reapers
The Hurt Is On
1998
You are listening to Robert Susz - vocals & harmonica, Dave Brewer - guitar & vocals, Clayton Doley - organ, piano & backing vocals, Vita Portolesi - bass, Antero Ceschino - drums, Fabian Hevia - congas & percussion, from the CD "The Hurt Is On"
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When US actor and designer beer salesman Jim Belushi was recently in Australia he took time out to sit in with one of this city`s favourite blues and soul combos, The Mighty Reapers. Belushi had been tipped off back in the US by Dan Ackroyd, as presenter Jake Elwood of the nationally syndicated "House Of Blues" radio programme who had been featuring the Mighty Reapers album released in the US on Terra Nova Records. The Mighty Reapers were formed by "Continental" Robert Susz out of the ashes of the Dynamic Hepnotics back in 1988.

The Hepnotics had shot to the top of the Australian charts with "Soul Kind Of Feeling", the biggest selling Australian single in 1985, and the most broadcast single on Australian radio in 1986. Since then The Mighty Reapers have been in constant demand for festival and club dates throughout Australia and when international blues and R&B artists come to town it`s more than often that the Reapers are chosen to support or back them. This list of luminaries includes B.B.King, Margie Evans, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lucky Peterson, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Bobby Radcliff, Hubert Sumlin and Mojo Buford, Lonnie Mack, Johnny Copeland, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Big Jay McNeely, Louisiana Red and Billy Branch, Buddy Guy, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Albert King, John Hammond, John King Cleary, Joe Louis Walker, Billy Boy Arnold, The Holmes Brothers and many, many more.

With the release of their most recent album "The Hurt Is On", the Reapers have now released some four albums in their own right as well as their highly acclaimed collaboration with US blues and soul diva Margie Evans. In Australia you can find the Reapers on Rufus Records with whom they have built a long and very successful association. In the USA the Californian based Terra Nova label has released all the Reapers' albums and they have received extensive airplay on college and public radio. Over the years the band have drawn on the rich tradition of blues, soul and R&B in their choice of covers from artists such as Howlin' Wolf, James Brown and Sonny Boy Williamson. However the band have always relied more on their original material when it comes to filling the dance floor. Their latest album "The Hurt Is On" features only one cover and no less than nine originals form the considerable songwriting talents of Robert Susz, Dave Brewer and Clayton Doley.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wicked!,thanks dude,this is an awesome aussie band

Trustar said...

Glad you liked it anonymous. Plenty more where that came from.

T