Rob Stone
August 15, 2008
Stormy Monday, Yokohama
Rob Stone – vocal, harmonica
Kenji Koyasuda – guitar, vocal
Hiroshi Eguchi – bass
Yoshiki Yamazaki - drums
Chicago came to Yokohama mid-August in the form of hard-rocking blues harpist Rob Stone. On his second tour through Japan in two years, Stone and a crack band of Tokyo blues regulars rocked the housed, brought it on home, stood around crying, and told how too, too late it was, how he had a dream and most important, let the packed club know it’s all right now! The titles of the songs tell the story for Stone’s right-on rough-and-tumble take on the blues. Yokohama’s Stormy Monday got plenty stormy.
Hailing from Chicago Stone piled on big helpings of muscular blues as if it was an everyday deal for him, and, of course, it is! When you don’t hear such high-level blues everyday, though, the impact goes right to the gut. Stone called tunes and got the band into taut rocking riffs that are the essence of the blues. Each riff was the kind that you can just drop right into and get carried away on. Stone got back to the rhythms and feel of the originals from Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers and Sonny Boy Williamson. His choice of tunes like “Too Late,” “Rock This House,” “Sloppy Drunk” are hip, hard-hitting blues that Stone makes all the more visceral with honest vocals and chugging, sharp-toned harmonica.
If that tough blues were all he played, it’d be enough. But Stone also has a soft side for slow songs that ache with a weariness that just edges over into strength. His feel for these slow songs framed the fast blues with a more reflective kind of intensity. After driving home one of these more lyrical numbers, though, Stone doesn’t wait long to pump up the soul factor. “Bring It On Home” kicked into a right-on mid-tempo groove fattened up by bass from Eguchi.
Koyasuda on guitar kept Stone bouncing with great licks and solid solos, moving in and around his beefy harmonica. Yamazaki is always a wizard on drums, like the best drummers, he drives the band, pushing them when they need it and getting under them for extra lift even when they don’t. The band sounded like they’d all been playing together for years, though this was a short Japan tour. The band came together tightly on tunes like “You’re the One,” “Closer to You” and “Too Late.” These blues classics fit naturally beside Stone’s originals like “Playing Games.” Stone blasts out harmonica solos on all of them like they are conversations with old good friends.
The audience was wild for this blues, and Stone’s CDs seemed to be flying out the door with everyone leaving the club. They all wanted to take home his great vocals and powerful harmonica to hold them over until, hopefully, Stone comes back to Japan again next summer. When he does, don’t miss him!