The Cash Box Kings are the real deal. These Chicago musicians have dedicated themselves to playing in the tradition of 1950s Chicago blues. From the first guitar licks on Black Toppin’, the band’s sixth offering and second for Blind Pig Records, it feels as though you could be listening in on a studio session at Chess Records, with the ghosts of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, and Little Walter.
Anchored by harmonica player and vocalist Joe Nosek, guitarist and vocalist Oscar Wilson, drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith (son of Muddy Waters’ longtime drummer Willie “Big Eyes” Smith), and guitarist Joel Patterson, the “CBKs” have also called upon the talents of upright bass player Beau Sample, guitarist Billy Flynn, drummer Mark Haines, electric bass player Gerry Hundt, keyboard player Barrelhouse Chuck, sax player Jerry Devivo, and drummer Alex Hall. The ensemble built a following in Chicago for the past ten years and has been building its reputation outside the Windy City for the past several.
On Black Toppin’, the CBKs record a mix of original music with a few covers. Nosek and Wilson are the main songwriters for the group, and the songwriting mix provides a refreshingly retro feel beginning with Nosek’s “Blues Falling Down On Me” and Wilson’s lively title tune. Other highlights include “Oscar’s Jump,” the cover of Dixon’s “Too Late,” and Nosek’s rock ‘n’ roller “I Don’t Want to Fight.” The album closes with the Velvet Underground’s “Run Run Run,” which is a surprising choice for the collection but that somehow fits.
The CBKs, by embracing the golden era of blues music, in which musicians first plugged their instruments in and recorded extensively, have created a great sound. Black Toppin’ seems like something pulled from a time capsule, but it is also a lot of fun to listen to.
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.