The Cash Box Kings, Oscar’s Motel
By Mike O’Cull
The Cash Box Kings treat us all to a real down-home good time on the group’s newest album Oscar’s Motel.
The new record drops March 17th, 2023 on Chicago’s Alligator Records and contains the sound of The Cash Box Kings playing vintage ensemble blues with modern fire and old-school class. Their music blends the vibrant sounds of 50s and 60s blues with sharply-written original songs that are relevant and highly entertaining. These sessions were produced by band founder, vocalist, and harmonica player Joe Nosek and went down at Reliable Recorders/Hi-Style Studio in Chicago with engineer Alex Hall at the desk.
Besides Nosek, the current Cash Box Kings’ lineup features Oscar “Mr. 43rd Street” Wilson on lead vocals, Billy Flynn on lead and baritone guitar, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums, John W. Lauler on upright and electric bass, and Lee Kanehira on piano and organ. A number of exciting special guests also appear on Oscar’s Motel, including vocalists Deitra Farr, Cameron Webb, and John Nemeth, guitarists Shoji Naito, Andrew Diehl, Xavier Lynn, and Jon McDonald, drummer Derek Hendrickson, and The C-Note Horns. As you might expect, all this muscle adds up to a blues party you won’t want to leave.
Joe Nosek started The Cash Box Kings in 2001 in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2007, larger-than-life Chicago blues vocalist Oscar Wilson came onboard and the Kings hit their stride. The combo of Wilson’s unquestionably real South Side Chicago blues vocal and songwriting styles and Nosek’s blazing harp work and storytelling vocals make an intoxicating cocktail and the band has built a large, global following.
They’ve released 11 albums including this one, received critical praise and several Blues Music Award nominations, and rocked important shows at the Chicago Blues Festival, the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, the Doheny Blues Festival, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), and the Moulin Blues Festival (Netherlands). They’re universally considered one of the finest blues bands working today.
The album opens with its rollicking title cut “Oscar’s Motel.” Wilson takes the lead vocal and leads the Kings through a Howlin’ Wolf-influenced single-chord vamp that will jump out of your speakers. Nosek wails on harmonica and increases the tune’s intensity level a lot. The way the entire band unites in the pocket is absolutely blissful and a hallmark of true Chicago blues. You can practically taste the whiskey.
“Oscar’s Motel”
“Down On The South Side” brings in the horns and drops into a funky, mid-tempo beat. Billy Flynn plays some sweetly-phrased lead guitar lines while Wilson describes and immortalizes many of the characters he’s known in that part of town. Wilson says, “Such a glorious time. Growing up, there was a tavern on every corner with a band playing and music coming from front porches on every block.” The celebratory vibe here is everything and anyone who has ever partied in Chicago’s neighborhoods will recognize it immediately.
The humorous shuffle “I Can’t Stand You” lets Wilson square off against the mighty voice of female vocalist Deitra Farr. Farr is one of the Windy City’s best-known blues singers and a star in her own right. Her low tones and big personality wrestle Wilson to a draw and you’ll chuckle as they lay out their Facebook beefs. All is well in the end, however, and the bickering pair finally show love to each other as the track winds down. It’s a fun song that keeps the mood light.
“Pontiac Blues” is an all-too-brief upbeat shuffle that puts Nosek’s harp skills in the spotlight. Shoji Naito’s skin-tight rhythm guitar playing adds purpose and clarity to the groove and locks the band down like a boss. Another deep-cut treasure on Oscar’s Motel is the Chuck Berry-esque Christmas jam “Ride Santa Ride” that closes the set. It’s a solid sender that will be lighting up a ton of holiday parties this coming season.
The Cash Box Kings are at the peak of their powers on Oscar’s Motel. The band has found a magic niche between old and new styles and puts down blues music of a caliber that few can match. Highly recommended.
Pre-order Oscar’s Motel HERE
Sounds like it was recorded in the early 60s!