Supporting Otis Grand at the Queens Hall, Narberth…

"The guys got the evening off to a rousing start...this Swansea band just get better and better. Ted’s powerful vocals and harmonica work were complimented by some sweet guitar from Mark while Doc on drums and Stiff on bass kept everything rock solid..."

"Blues in Britain"

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REVIEW FROM EARLYBLUES.COM

“Ted showed the way with his sweet harp in the style of Little Walter and “Tiny”, complete with his Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe, the tone of which was absolutely outstanding (and also a copy of T Bone Walkers Gibson), was a revelation. The set listings show the Harp led style of this band and some of the material; covers of the great Big Joe Turner, Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy and Little Walter were authentic enough but the starring roll for me were the covers of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Worthy of note was their own number “Southside Boogie” and Walkin’ Blues Featuring “Stiff” on vocals covering this Robert Johnson classic”.

“Ted’s version of Tough Enough could have been Kim Wilson!”

“Most of the crowd had first seen Ted and the boys last year at The Tenby Blues Festival, rating them as good if not better than some of the main stage acts”.

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Borough Blues Club 2nd June 2007...

Here was a band who were striving to stay in touch with the roots of the blues; who selected their songs very carefully, mostly from the period between the 1920s and the 1940s, and delivered them in a style probably more in keeping with their original performance than the modern interpretations of many other bands.
The band structure was a little different from the ordinary too, with a harmonica Masterclass from leader Ted Crook who featured in many solos but was capably assisted by a clever and very tight back line of "Tiny" Phillips on guitar (so-called because of his massive frame and small hands), Gordon (Doc) Jones on drums and "Stiff" on bass (I never did manage to get his real name). Stiff was slight of stature with a polished head, glasses, ear-ring and powder blue check suit with white soled baseball boots - highly colourful and a clear contrast to the much larger and more subdued Tiny.
This four-some produced swing, shuffle, boogie and Latin rhythms with intricately interwoven backings. Ted Crook performed most of the vocals, occasionally joined or replaced competently by Doc or Stiff and it was evident that the words of the songs were very important to the group as well as the music. The clarity and delivery of the singing made it easily possible to understand the meaning and sentiment of the numbers the group played - which was refreshing.
Highlights from the first set were Lemonade and Can't Get That Stuff No More (Tampa Red, 1922). The group were not afraid to take it right down, allow the guitar to stand out and let the singer tell the story before launching into brilliant harp solos. Flip, Flop and Fly (Big Joe Turner); You're So Fine (Little Walter) and One Way Out (Sonny Boy Williamson) were well received by an appreciative audience. The set finished with Little Junior Parker's Mystery Train (which was also a hit for Elvis Presley); I Can Tell (Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, 1959) and Blues Highway's own composition, The Southside Boogie.
Into the second half of the night's entertainment with the Fabulous Thunderbirds She's Tough; another Blues Highway song Hard Lovin' Woman and Little Walter's Crazy About You Baby which featured a superb duet introduction between Ted Crook and Tiny. The guitarist produced intricate little fills and runs which passed almost un-noticed in Big Bill Broonzy's Too Many Drivers and drew an extended ovation for the intro and solo in Outskirts Of Town.
The band, though not of a heavy or hard rocking blues persuasion, had a sensitivity and feel which brought loud audience demands for encores as the evening drew to a close with Robert Johnson's New Walking Blues; and Juke "Boy" Bonner's I'm Not Jiving.
Just my opinion, but this was one of the top blues groups to appear at the Borough Blues Club and I'm sure they will make a return visit in the future. If you missed them this time it would be good to catch up with them then!

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Blues Dragon R&B Club, Cardiff with special guest Todd Sharpville…

"Ted and the band are no strangers to the Blues Dragon but on this occasion we were delighted to have the illustrious and extremely talented axe man Todd Sharpville in this an already overloaded gifted band line-up. Commencing with “Tongue In Cheek”- a band original, the boys had me quickly cutting short a conversation of some importance ‘cos I got the buzz from the band right from the word GO! Ted plays a superb harp - hard hitting when required but equally gentle and heart lifting in the slower numbers amongst their wide and varied programme. The following two numbers, “Kansas City” and “Third Degree” sold us punters (and now dancers) their particular blues agenda. Todd had the lions share of solos befitting the young man of immense talent but Mark had several moments, too, of excellent and delightful guitar episodes throughout the night, weaving his notes and solos around a solid backdrop of bass and drums from Mike and Haydn.  I particularly liked the dirty low-down blues tempo of “Walkin’ Uptown” early in the second set - others in the club liked it too as with Ted’s beautiful vocals in “Too Many Drivers”, a nitty gritty blues song where the blistering harp of John Grills, bought up from the audience to “guest” for this number, gave us all the spine chiller of the night. The dancers had a field day and the band did not leave them lacking but the final encore, “Linda Lou”, saw an end to the nights proceedings and a weary crowd left the Gower Hotel happy and footsore. The band will be back before long, so I’m told…Another good night at the Blues Dragon!!"

"Blues Matters!

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In search of perfection Ted has put together another band and in my opinion he is nearly there. Don’t miss one of the country’s leading harmonica players."

Blues Dragon Club"

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