Nick Moss has produced excellent, true-to-form electric blues with his backup band the Flip Tops. Here he is the leader and frontman all the way, even though longtime bandmates like drummer Bob Carter, second guitarist Gerry Hundt, and keyboardist John Kattke are still supporting him. The focus for Moss on this, his eighth album, is different in ways that hearken back to late-'60s rock with current-day side bars. A more than adequate singer and guitarist, Moss is stretching his repertoire on this collection of old favorites and newer tunes with a funky beat, and in some instances, fusing both elements. Baby boomers will love hearing a riff-driven version of Cream's "Politician," with Pete Brown's poignant lyrics just as relevant today as when they were written…

Many so-called blues releases are actually filled with bluesy R&B, soul, pop, and rock. There is no such stylistic confusion in Sadie Mae from Nick Moss & the Flip Tops. The music is no-nonsense blues, played with spirit, drive, and swing. Most of the selections are concise, getting their message across and not overstaying their welcome. By varying tempos and moods plus including occasional instrumentals, the quintet performs enjoyable and memorable music, with an emphasis on cooking straight-ahead grooves. Lead voices are Nick Moss on guitar and vocals, harmonica player Gerry Hunot, and pianist Bob Welsh (doubling on organ), but the tight yet loose rhythm section is not to be overlooked either. This is a fun set, well worthy of several listens.

Nick Moss decided to steer his band back to his first love, the greasy boogie of Chicago blues, around the time he hired harpist Dennis Gruenling as a featured musician toward the beginning of 2017. Not long afterward he signed to Alligator, that stalwart of Chicago blues, and cut The High Cost of Low Living, a jumping little record that keeps the postwar dreams alive. Moss seems revitalized by this pairing, and it's not just how he trades licks with Gruenling that gives the album a kick. The guitarist wrote eight new songs, all solid senders in the classic Chicago tradition, all pairing well with the two originals from Gruenling and smartly selected covers, highlighted by the Santo & Johnny obscurity "All Night Diner." While The High Cost of Low Living might not expand the form, it certainly makes a case for the vitality of old-fashioned Chicago electric blues in the 21st century.