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by Ernie Thomas
“We’ve got a new
drummer by the name of Tim
Scruggs sitting in with us for gigs we’re doing right now,” he
said. “He’s a really
good drummer and I’m hoping he’s going to be around for a while.”
Formed in 2000 out of the remnants of The Blueprints, a group
which played the Windy City blues haunts during the latter part of the
‘90s, the Real Deal took their name because it reflects their attitude
towards the roots-faithful music they play.
The sweet home blues music being written by Gentile and guitarist
Jon “Butch” Willard is so
earnest that it was able to coax Big George Millspaugh out of a ten-year retirement and put him back
in front of a live microphone once again.
Millspaugh, or “Big G” and he prefers to be known, had played
for over a decade with Gentile in Chicago’s infamous Pearl Handle
Band, a Southern Blues group that once filled Midwest clubs to standing
room only levels during the late 1970s.
“It took a little doing, but I think George had the itch to get
back out again,” laughed the bass player.
“When you’re a musician and you don’t play for a while, you
miss it. I think Big
G sounds better than ever.”
Willard, Gentile and the band’s resident harmonica blower, Doug
Randle, had previously jammed together in various groups over the
years. Atlanta transplant, Dexter Hudgins, was the first to play drums for the mostly original
band. Hudgins’ drumming
is featured on the band’s new 10-song debut CD, “Chicago
Nocturne,” released last April via the indie YHM imprint.
The CD was recorded locally at RaxTrax Studios and features seven
original cuts and a pair of cover tunes (Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’
And Tumblin’” and Elmore James’ “It
Hurts Me”).
The final track is a remake of “Cleanin’
Up The House,” an original song by Chicago band, The Stickmen.
“Phil Balsano [of
The Stickmen] produced the album for us and also played keyboards for us
on the CD,” explained Gentile of why they opted to re-record that
tune. “Phil was one of
the writers of that song and he’s like the sixth member of the band
these days. He is guesting
with us on a lot of the live gigs.”
Prior to recording, the band had built up their name recognition
in the area with a performance last year at the 2002 Chicago Blues Fest,
along with gigs at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Backporch Stage at House of
Blues, and other prominent Chicago blues venues.
Once “Chicago
Nocturne” was completed, Hudgins decided that he no longer
desired to gig out anymore. “We
understood. None of us are kids anymore,” added Gentile, who like the
rest of the band is in his late ‘40s.
Slipping behind the drum kit this spring was former Hounds/Heartsfield
drummer, Mike Neff. He seemed a likely choice, since Neff had once anchored
the old Pearl Handle line-up. Time
has a way of changing things and the combination of former bandmates did
not have that old magic, so Scruggs replaced Neff earlier this month.
Gentile said that Big G And The Real Deal are already busy
writing material for their sophomore album and road-testing some new
songs, even though they are just now starting to work their first record
at college and commercial radios stations.
With summer here and radio starting to respond favorably to their
album, Gentile expects the band’s current schedule of two gigs a month
to at least double. He also
hopes to see the band expand their gig base outside of Chicagoland and
plans to book some weekend road trips to other Midwestern cities.
A band web site is currently under development. Until then, Gentile invites area blues fans to drop him an email –– musichouse55@aol.com –– to get the band’s itinerary and to learn more about the group. They play House Of Blues Front Porch Stage later this month. |
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Bassist Mickey Gentile
humorously refers to his band –– Big
G & The Real Deal –– as being the “blues version of Spinal
Tap,” in that they keep having drummers blow off of the drum throne.