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When good musicians come together to play, it is a very rare occasion that the results don’t work out as expected. In the case of the Pete Scheips Band, their delivery on Coming Up Blue will make you sit up and smile and wish it had lasted a whole lot longer. The 10 songs on this CD run the course from lilting ballads to a shuffle to some harder-edged tunes, with just the right amount and shades of blue.

Pete’s band mates are ABB drummer Jaimoe, Matt Zeiner on keyboards, Chris D’Amato on guitar, and Jonathan Lichtig on drums. Scheips plays bass and guitar and handles the majority of the lead vocals. “Back on the Train” kicks off Coming Up Blue with a story of trying it one more time, and “Time Will Tell” rocks smoky and steady. Zeiner and D’Amato supply some cool vocal background on such tunes as “Nassau County Blues,” “Already Gone” and “Fill in the Blank,” bringing deep color and texture to the CD. “Run Rabbit Run” is a short instrumental number that evokes sounds of older days, with some especially nice piano parts by Matt Zeiner and D’Amato’s best guitar solo on the album. 

Scheips displays his more personal side with the solo acoustic “Coming Up Blue,” and the closing numbers “Say Goodbye” and “She’s In Control” highlight what is a great showcase of modern blues from a terrific band of players. Get this one, folks – you will listen to it often.

1.   Back on the Train  (3:53)
2.   Time Will Tell  (5:48)
3.   Blue Guitar  (4:23)
4.   Nassau County Blues  (4:24)
5.   Fill in the Blank  (8:42)
6.   Run Rabbit Run  (2:37)
7.   Coming Up Blue  (1:59)
8.   Already Gone  (5:01)
9.   Say Goodbye  (2:19)
10. She's in Control  (4:58)