The second offering on the Rhythm Bomb record label by B.B. & the Blues Shacks is something very special. As the album title implies it is a celebration of the band’s 30^th Anniversary and on Dirty Thirty they celebrate in grand style.

This release, which will be enjoying a December 13^th street date, is a beautiful limited edition first pressing which is presented as a three-disc package. The first two CDs are complete previously released albums. They are 2012’s Come Along and the 2014 release, Businessmen, from their days at Crosscut Records. Both of these CDs have been remastered and contain a bonus track of a previously unreleased song.

The third disc is made up of brand-new recordings of old Blues Shacks’ tunes from their expansive back catalogue. They have been reimagined and reworked in such a way it is like hearing them for the first time. Included here are four brand new songs written by brothers Andreas and Michael “Maddy” Arlt. This third disc entitled, Dirty Thirty, is the most overall satisfying music of the band’s long career. Like their debut album on Rhythm Bomb records, the band returns to the hybrid sound of Chicago meets West Coast, post war blues, rhythm & blues and beyond. B.B. & The Blues Shacks demonstrate why they are one of the best blues ensembles anywhere in the world.

They are Andre Werkmeister who joined the band in 2014. “Werki” is a master of traditional Chicago blues shuffles. Bassist Henning Hauerken has been with the band since 1996. His double bass is an indispensable part of the band’s sound. Fabian Freitz the youngest and newest member of the band signed on in 2015. He plays both piano and organ. His sound owes as much to the Crescent City masters like James Booker, as it does Chicago blues pioneers such as Otis Spann.  

Michael “Maddy” Arlt is the front man, vocalist and harp player He is just as likely to surprise you with his attack on his instrument as he is laying down some reassuring lines on both the diatonic and chromatic harmonica. His vocals on Dirty Thirty are the best of his career.

The founder of the band is guitarist and older brother Andreas. He is a human jukebox of vintage riffs. He has emerged over the past thirty years as one of the best blues guitar players on this planet. His vocabulary in this field is astonishing and he speaks fluently in various blues dialects. He can swing hard one moment and then take you into the gut bucket the next.

Having seen the band several times over the past decade or so, as they have had a handful of mini tours in Southern California, I can attest to their strengths which are numerous. I have heard the band perform in nightclubs from San Pedro to Pomona and from Simi Valley to San Diego. I’ve seen them play in Costa Mesa and Dana Point clubs and in front of thousands of people on three separate occasions at the Doheny Blues Festival going back to 2008 and as recently as last spring. Their professionalism, musicianship and stage craft always leave their audiences absolutely floored.

The sixteen track, Dirty Thirty disc has B.B. & The Blues Shacks hitting it on all cylinders. It is here that they have made an album’s worth of material which actually holds up to the high standards set by their live shows.

The entire package is a 49 song, three-disc, box set that comes with a booklet which includes the individual band member’s mini bios. There are also marvelous liner notes written by R.J. Mischo, as well as some wonderful artwork throughout the entire package.

If this band is new to you, Dirty Thirty might be a good starting point to explore some great blues which is as fresh as it is traditional and as exciting as it is sublime. If you are a longtime fan of B.B. & The Blues Shacks, I don’t need to tell you a damn thing. You already know what I’m talking about.

- David Mac