Little Anthony & The Locomotives – Can’t Take It

Little Anthony & The Locomotives include: Little Anthony (keyboards); Karl Kelly (vocals); Craig Ruskey (guitar). The Little Anthony heard on this CD shouldn't be confused with the Little Anthony who led Little Anthony & the Imperials in the 1950s and '60s. While that Little Anthony was an R&B/pop singer with a strong teen following, Little Anthony Geraci is a blues pianist who backed Pinetop Perkins, Roosevelt Sykes, and others before making his recording debut as a leader with Can't Take It. Geraci's band, the Loco-motives, is a hard-driving horn band that is greatly influenced by Chicago blues but is also hip to early rock & roll, jump blues, Memphis soul, and jazz. Singer Karl Kelly brings a lot of passion to an inspired cover of Little Richard's "Lucille" as well as songs that Geraci wrote or co-wrote, which range from the moody "Eight Rooms of Gloom" to the in-your-face "Talking About You" and the humorous "Positions Wanted" (a commentary on the challenges of looking for work when the number of applicants exceeds the number of jobs). Meanwhile, "Can't Get You Off My Mind" finds Kelly detouring into jazz-influenced torch singing. Can't Take It wasn't a big seller, but despite being little known, it's a pleasing effort that's worth searching for. ~ Alex Henderson 

Track Listing:
1. Can't Take It - 4:15   2. Did Not Like What I Saw Last Night - 3:03   3. Positions Wanted - 3:11   4. Back In Love - 5:19   5. Can't Get You Of My Mind - 4:43   6. Loving You - 3:35   7. Half Not Whole - 4:52   8. Lucille - 3:24   9. Talking About You - 4:35   10. Eight Rooms Of Gloom - 10:52

Personnel:
Little Anthony Geraci (piano) , Karl Kelly (vocals, harmonica on 9) , Craig Ruskey (guitar) , Steve Bigelow (bass, backing vocals) , Neil Gouvin (drums) , Greg Mazel (tenor & baritone saxophones) , Scott Gordley (tenor saxophone) , David Cafro (trumpet) , Rob Funk (trombone) , Eric Kniffen (guitar)