Bad Dog
Blues

 "Hard Times Won" teams up immaculate guitarist Barry Levenson with hard blowing harpman and singer Johnny Dyer for one of the year's toughest ensemble outings.

 Making his home on the West Coast, Levenson has played with a who's who of California blues giants including Pee Wee Crayton, Big Mama Thornton, William Clarke, Percy Mayfield and many others. He also does A&R and producing chores for the famed Storyville label. Like Levenson, Johnny Dyer is a transplanted Los Angles bluesman by-way-of Mississippi who's put down strong records for Blind Pig, Black Top and previously worked with hotshot guitarist Rick Holmstrom. Levenson and Dyer make a mighty team as the duo lay down a deep, hard driving groove on this collection of all original material.

Levenson is a stunning guitarist with an uncanny sense of taste and amazing tone who never overplays. Levenson has learned his lessons well displaying the intensity of a young Buddy Guy while other times drawing from B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and even jazz guitarists Grant Green and Charlie Christian. By contrast Dyer's big, raw tone and hard blowing summon up the ghosts of Walter Horton and Little Walter with a touch of laid-back West Coast coolness. The contrast between the two works remarkably well backed by a tight band that produces some great ensemble playing. There's plenty of variety on the disc from tough Chicago styled blues on hard luck tales like "Hard Times Won", the shuffling "Chasing The Money" to the Muddy Waters vamp of "9 O'Clock Blues" featuring some uncannily Muddy like slide from Levenson.  Levenson's guitar wails and moans passionately on the instrumental "Inhumanity Blues" a tribute to 9/11 and displays incredible technique on "The Graveyard Shift" an instrumental tribute to Otis Rush. Other highlights include the laid back T-Bone inspired "I Ain't Going Back", the organ/guitar driven instrumental "Blues For Never Slim" and the jazzy closer "Slip Me Some Green Jack."

 As Phil Wight says in the liner notes, "Levenson has the four T's: tone, technique, taste and toughness." All of which are on display here and the contrast between the more traditional Dyer makes this album a real treat. This one shouldn't be missed.