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Big Al & The Heavyweights

"Hey, Hey Mardi Gras"

Bluziana Records

I was meant to write this review. Fate wanted it.

The first time I heard Big Al and the Heavyweights, they were the guest band on Emiril Live. The fact that I knew they had played at Skippers was the primary reason I remembered them.

Less than a week later, my wife and I arranged to meet some friends at Pleasure Island. Our friends informed us that Big Al and the Heavyweights were playing at the Jazz club. We made a beeline there as soon as the Mardi Gras parade got out of our way. We walked in as the band was playing the last song of their first set. They were totally kicking ass. We settled into a table and ordered supplies that would sustain us during the twenty-minute wait until their next set. Fortunately for us, this was the Friday before Fat Tuesday and they were hired to create a Mardi Gras atmosphere, so guess what they played? Many songs from the new cD, of course.

We were all very impressed. We especially loved the song, Eat More crawfish, but all their tunes were really hitting the spot. As soon as the set was over, I hustled over and bought their new cD. I did a double take when the clerk told me the price was $21.00. But I really wanted the disk, so I anted up.

The following weekend I went to the Johnny Sansone/Gris Gris show at Skippers. During the show, Larry Lisk grabbed me and said he had something for me. He then produced a cD and asked me to do a review. The cD was Hey Hey Mardi Gras by you-know-who, and he would have given it to me as a reward for reviewing it. crap!

Well, the truth is I am grateful and indebted to Larry for asking me to review this fine cD and don't care about the money. This is great party music. The title song, Hey Hey Mardi Gras and Eat More crawfish, are great Mardi Gras tunes and should become standards. And the rest of the selections are great Blues numbers. The band on the cD consists of Albert J. Lauro (Big Al) on drums and background vocals and Tim Wagoner on guitar and vocals, joined by a long cast of excellent back-up musicians. If you like rockin', partying Blues, you will want to add this one to your collection.