Steve “The Harp” Blues Band

Back in the Blues

Self Release

From Bloomington-Normal comes a CD of real-deal blues that has purists raving. In this age when every SRV imitator thinks he’s a blues man and nobody even knows who Paul Butterfield was, Steve Mehlberg and band have recorded 10 tracks of upbeat blues so funky you can smell it. The ultimate compliment comes from blues-crotchety DJ Delta Frank from WGLT who said, “Steve has it right. This CD BLOWS ME AWAY!”

As his nickname clearly states, Mehlberg leads his band on harmonica, and he sings with a fairly wide vocal range. Mostly in baritone, Steve can utilize a falsetto vocal to hit some surprising notes. Steve “Trak” Trakinat on guitar is stellar on rhythm and lead. John “Polar Bear” Sauter  on bass and Joe Zaklan on drums keep the beat in a locket deep in their pocket. Eric Nelson at Eclipse Studios engineered and produced the fun.

Steve wrote the opening title track and selected pure cream for the other 9 tracks. Harmonica nuggets from past masters were given fresh interpretations, like the best one, “Scratch My Back” by Slim Harpo. “I know you can do it/now baby, get to it,” sings Steve following the suave-groove, wah wah harp intro. Rice Miller and Paul Butterfield songs are also given stand out treatment plus Canned Heat’s “Let’s Work Together.”