REVIEW: Rick Derringer, Live At The Paradise Theater (Phoenix Gems)
- Bill Holmes
He may not be in Cleveland's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but Rick Derringer was enshrined in mine years ago. From teen idol to third Winter Brother to guitar god to pop guy to blues man, Derringer has strapped on that guitar, hit the stage and kicked ass. Unfortunately, previous concert documents have not effectively captured what live audiences have enjoyed for so long. Derringer Live was good but spotty, and the King Biscuit release featured his last, weakest band lineup and too many guest stars. Only the radio promo Live In Cleveland (there's irony for you!) came close, but if the legitimate release has never made it to CD, don't hold your breath for the promotional disc. A travesty.
Now that's changed, thanks to Phoenix Media Group. With thousands of hours of live music tapes and radio broadcasts at their disposal, the Phoenix Gems imprint will be used to get some classic (and in some cases, unheard) concerts out to the public. The first four releases feature The Tubes, Omar And The Howlers, Spirit, and this Derringer concert from late 1998 in Boston. Live At The Paradise Theater was the same show (and perhaps the same master tape) that was supposed to be released in 1998 under the Archive Alive label, but was shelved when the King Biscuit disc hit the market two months before. The sound quality is phenomenal, and if all Phoenix Media's shows are this crisp and clear, the market for live concerts just changed dramatically.
The first Derringer band, with axe whiz Danny Johnson, was more riff and jam oriented. After Johnson left, Derringer kept bassist Kenny Aaronson and brought in drummer Myron Grombacher. Recording as a trio (with some help from old pal Dan Hartman), If I Weren't So Romantic, I'd Shoot You found Rick steering his band towards shorter, single oriented material. Needing a second guitarist for the road, he selected Neil Geraldo (who, with Grombacher, would anchor Pat Benatar's band for years afterwards). Although the band was only together briefly, Geraldo plays some great barrelhouse piano and trades leads on guitar, Grombacher is tireless, and Aaronson is an inventive, fluid anchor on bass. Sure, there's the requisite speed-noodling on "Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo" and "Beyond The Universe," and this talented group kept up with Derringer step for step. What makes this disc really special are the moments when they absolutely rip through Derringer's best mid-career songs. "Teenage Love Affair," "Let Me In" (always Derringer's best vocal) and the Chinn-Chapman hit "It Ain't Funny" are on fire, while the finale of "Roll With Me," "Back In The U.S.A." and "Long Tall Sally" contain Derringer's best work since the Roadwork album with Edgar Winter. The band was hot that night
Rick Derringer shows no signs of slowing down after over 35 years of rocking the world. Let this CD hold you over until he rocks your town again. (http://www.radiophoenix.com)
