Living Blues Review

Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots - Lit Up ! 2011

Victor Wainwright's second release on the WildRoots label is a riotous, intoxicating run through all kinds of exciting blues territory. The gifted Memphis-based boogie-woogie piano player is backed by the expert WildRoots Band-ablaze with jumping beats, lively saxophones, and some spine-tingling guitar work. Every track is brilliant. Producer Stephen Dees gets it right, delivering a refined sound. Dees also plays bass and acoustic guitar on the album and had a hand in most of the songwriting. Guest musicians add to the endeavor, from a soulful Hammond organ to an evocative saxcello. There's something for every kind of blues fan to get excited about.

 Lit Up! kicks off with Big Dog's Runnin' This Town, a jump blues number that is pure, irresistible boogie music. He ends the track with a bark and howl, seeming to call the wild crowd that couldn't help getting on its feet to follow him through the rest of this lively affair. Indeed, for the rest of the album, Wainwright serves as an electrifying guide to a good time-spinning tales, telling his listeners how to beat the blues, and meticulously conjuring raw soul and energy out of his acoustic piano. Wainwright is skilled at handling jump blues. The scene in Little Ole' Shack sounds as fun as a Louis Jordan fish fry.

The temperature goes way up on the album's rocking title track and Ting Tang Bang, both featuring Mark "Muddyharp" Hodgson on the harmonica. Wainwright gets in plenty of New Orleans-style blues too. Subliminal Criminal is a standout in that style, and along with Coin Operated Woman and Honky Tonk Heaven, Wainwright displays a sharp sense of humor and a knack for storytelling.

Weeds is the most interesting offering. Wainwright sounds like Satchmo at times, and the song shuffles along with a mysterious gypsy jazz feel. He evocatively offers up, "Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds." Wainwright certainly isn't mistaken. With Lit Up! he has cultivated a sophisticated album where songwriting, performance, production, and pure talent come together just right. It's a raucous foray into infectious boogie and blues. Don't miss it!

Katie Lambert - Living Blues October 2011       
 

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Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots - Lit Up!

Blues Source

The phrase "highly anticipated" can carry some dangerous baggage with it; there's a huge potential for a letdown, and on the overall, precious few albums live up to the moniker. Thankfully, Lit Up from Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots not only meets those expectations but exceeds them.

The follow-up to Wainwright's critical success "Beale Street to The Bayou" builds on all the good juju from that release and actually manages to improve on every level. From any aspect you care to view this disc - songwriting, recording quality, and of course performance - this disc is an absolute winner. For starters, there's no chance a blues fan can get bored with this disc. Stylistically, Lit Up exhibits an understanding of a wide range of blues, from the flat out boogie of the album-opening "Big Dog's Runnin' This Town," straight through the heart of New Orleans with "Subliminal Criminal;" from a fine and comfortable Delta country feel with "Dixie Highway," through a superbly aching slow blues with "Our Last Goodbye;" for all of it, Wainwright and Company (Stephen Dees, Greg Gumpel, Patricia Ann Dees, Billy Dean and Ray Guiser) show themselves as consummate wizened pros. Folks... this is seriously good blues!

Oh, and don't be shy about adding "stellar production values" to the list of this album's merits. Producer/Arranger Stephen Dees exhibits superb judgment and taste with every flourish on the disc. Horns are added where they sound fantastic - never for mere effect, and as with all other aspects of the album, never gratuitously. Solos are appropriate, tasteful and skillful, adding to the solidarity of the feel throughout this album of a very, very good band playing together, never against one another. Adding a final perfect touch to the disc, Wainwright plays a proper acoustic piano on the album's entirety; he makes his love for and extreme skill on the instrument exceedingly obvious from start to finish.

Picking a favorite track on this release might be akin to choosing your favorite gem from a perfect necklace... but if my feet were held to the fire, I might go with "Walk Away My Blues." A medium-to-slow aching blues, it gives Wainwright a chance to shine in his two most accomplished arenas; his vocals (which never get enough credit in my book) are pleading and aching, and his piano playing on this track is a microcosm of the entire album; brilliantly presented, never flash for the sake of flash but in possession of every necessary chop in the book... and then some. The horns on this track again add so much to the presentation, lending something between a big band feel and the ambiance of a smokey back-room strip joint. The whole track just blows me away.

In fact, and I'm sure it's obvious by now, the whole album blows me away. Perhaps the simplest and most effective way I can say it is this... I've been living in Memphis for over three years now. I love the city, love the music and the musicians here and I do what I can to bathe myself in as much of our city's music as I can. To these ears, Lit Up is by far the finest recording I've heard from Memphis in my entire time here. Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots have done themselves, Memphis and all of the blues world very proud.

Silver Michaels - Blues Source

This release is yet another collaboration with Victor's longtime partner Stephen Dees and it delivers a slew of well-written original songs full of interesting and entertaining lyrics along with some great performances from a bigger lineup of talented players.  Stephen also plays bass, acoustic guitar and some percussion on this record. Victor has added some good horn arrangements this time around and the effect is legit, foot-stomping Blues music. This is Victor Wainwright's 4th release and the Wildroots second official release.

Victor Wainwright and the Wild Roots come out of the chute with a rollicking jump Blues, "Big Dog's Running this Town." The CD never gets repetitive as Victor and the boys tour the listener through a vast array of Blues styles, from world class boogie woogie, to a Django-esque minor chord based "Weeds" replete with Victor's vocal which occasionally smacks of Louis Armstrong, then departing to "Little Ole Shack which hearkens back to Louis Jordan with it's group vocals and cool horn section. The title track, "Lit Up" adds some harmonica to the mix, Mark "Muddyharp" Hodgson providing the tracks.  This CD indeed expands the usual palette of musical flavors and it is a welcome addition to see Victor and company spread their wings. Also welcome is the addition of the author's "musical grandson", Chris Stephenson, on Hammond B-3 on Stephen Dees' Blues ballad "Our Last Goodbye."  This song also features some ripping electric guitar which sounds like the work of the most accomplished Greg Gumpel who also contributes some tasty resonator guitar to the CD on the tunes "Dixie Highway" and the all acoustic "Pile of Blues." Greg is Victor's best friend and has traveled many miles of road with the singing piano-playing bluesman.

The use of a great sounding Samick acoustic piano throughout the recording adds to the legitimacy of this recording's old school sound.  The recording is well organized and sophisticated and maintains good sonic values from beginning to end without ever coming off as too slick...this is straight-up Blues of the first order.  The record would be worth buying for just the jump Blues and boogie woogie alone, but it delivers the goods again and again with superb tips of the porkpie to many Blues styles.  This is an entertaining listen from top to bottom and rates 5 stars.  If you like the Blues, you should check out this musical offering and hear the future of the Blues for yourself. Victor and the Wildroots have captured the best of the old and infuse it with the energy of youth without sacrificing anything along the trip.

Not only is Victor an accomplished musician and one of the hardest working players that I have countenanced, but he is also a beautiful, kind, human being, sensitive and generous to a fault.  This comes out in his music as you can almost see Victor smiling while delivering lyrics and shouting in his trademarked style. Touring constantly and working in situations that require lots of hard travel has not diluted the impact of this man and his band.  Along his long road he has played with some of the finest players in the music business and even played loads of shows with the talented and extremely humorous Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, who contributed to the writing of  "Honky Tonk Heaven." Victor has a great career ahead of him.  He naturally possesses a unique delivery and does not have to imitate or copy anyone else. Moreover, he is always entertaining and madly talented.  You will never see Victor play a room and not go over with the crowd in a big way.

Do yourself a favor and buy a copy of this CD here:

http://wildrootsrecords.com/WildRootsMusic.htm

RCT Copyright,  Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms, 2011
http://www.ameriblues.com/2011/05/16/victor-wainwright-and-the-wild-roots-new-lit-up-cd/
 

"...if you really consider yourself a fan of the blues then it needs to be on your shelf too. A remarkable variety of styles considering that all of the songs are so 'true blues'."
Donny Harvey- MuzikReviews.com

 "...wherever you put down the needle, it's just pure, dead, brilliant."
Zeitgeist - United Kingdom

"Wainwright wrote or co-wrote nine of these gems; producer/writer Stephen Dees gets creative credit on 12. These fellows make a great team when it comes to being innovative in a genre that too often sounds repetitive. "Lit Up" is a knockout album that runs the gamut of blues styles with no weaknesses."
Ken Rosenbaum ToledoBLADE.com

"Wainwright gives it full speed and creates, together with his fine band, a full and rich sound that makes me want to move my body and enjoy it with my eyes closed at the same time. You got to love this!"
Eelco Schilder  - FolkWorld #45 07/2011

"I have to add that not a number on this disc lets down the musical quality and flow at any time; they're all really terrific and performed by The Wildroots with outright perfection.
Greg Johnson, Cascade Blues Association

"Over the past few years Victor and his band have developed their distinctive and original style of music, that makes it so special. The content of this album will win you over on first listen and that's it!"
Mladen Loncar, Soundguardian - Croatia

"Victor Wainwright and the Wildroots will make you smile, make you dance, and make you a convert to good, ole-fashioned piano-fied blues, and will get you "Lit Up!" in the process!!!"
Sheryl and Don Crow, Nashville Blues Society

"Straight outta the box - Victor Wainwright can play some piano. From honky-tonk sexy vamped up strolls to Louisiana hot sauce syncopated second line joyfulness, Mr. Wainwright seems much at home with any form of American Roots Music. The band is a great fit to his sound and style, and the horns really fill out the sound-scape and make 'Lit Up!' sure to be one of the top releases for 2011."
Blues411

"The songs are all well written and executed.  The whole CD is varied and goes from rock 'n roll and boogie to New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta and back to the boogie.  With so much mediocre music on the market, this CD is a relief, obviously with great pleasure and certainly with great craftsmanship."
BarnOwlBlues

"These are exceptionally gifted musicians, concentrating on a more demanding style of songwriting and craft, which results in a blues masterpiece."   
Dominic Benecasa, President, Daytona Blues Festival

"Wow! From the opening track, "Big Dog's Running This Town," the CD sizzles and sears with red hot energy and intensity. Superb musicianship, wonderful original tunes that nail the authenticity of the genre, and great arrangements make this CD a sonic treat. Up tempo tunes like "Coin Operated Woman" and "Honky Tonk Heaven" highlight Victor Wainwright's keyboard chops, and the overall diversity of the tunes and arrangements gives the talented band members plenty of room to shine. Get Lit Up!"
Barrelhouse Blues - Sound Impressions

"Victor Wainwright’s thundering boogie-woogie piano and partying blues growl mark him as a true descendant of Leroy Carr, Professor Longhair and Dr. John. Lit Up, a mix of jump blues, gritty Chicago-style blues,Memphis/New Orleans boogie and even some swampy, acoustic Delta blues. The latter style is heard to beautiful effect on tracks like “Dixie Highway,” an ode to the sprawling asphalt ribbon that connects the South and Midwest—much like Wainwright’s music."

BW - Jazz and Blues Florida http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/


"Let’s get straight to the point here, this is a wonderful album by a very promising young Blues vocalist & pianist, what makes it stand out is that the ‘Wild Roots’ are more than just a backing band, they are a group of talented musicians who work their socks off throughout the album, particular bassist Stephen Dees who has written or co-written the majority of the material here, in addition to producing the album. This is Memphis based Victor Wainwright’s second album and he mixes several different styles, opening with a full Memphis Horns sound on ‘Big Dog’s Runnin This Town’ but then switching to more straightforward Blues/Rock with my favorite track ‘Ting Tang Bang’, there are also some more stripped back numbers, pick of these is ‘Pile of Blues’, aided by Harmonica by Mark Hodgson. Victor’s piano playing and vocals are excellent throughout, he has a very easy relaxed vocal delivery that sits comfortably with both slow and up-tempo blues, the fourteen tracks are all top notch and there are no weaknesses anywhere. As an aside the album was mastered and mixed by Foghat’s Bryan Bassett & continuing the Foghat theme I believe Stephen Dees also played in one incarnation of the band during the 1980’s, getting back to the artist, I cannot see anything other than major success for Victor over the coming years."
Adrian Blacklee - Blues Matters Magazine UK

"Among the dozens of groups trying to find a place in the sun there are few chosen but Victor Wainwright and his accomplices stand out!"

Robert Sacre' - ABS Magazine - FRANCE

 

"We headed up I-5 on the way to a four-day three-night fishing/camping trip at McArthur-Burney Memorial State Park. It is a four and one-half hour zombie drive at 70 to 80 mph through commercial crop fields and speed traps on a two lane strip of tarmac festooned with construction, slow moving 18-wheelers and overweight RV’s. Our little Subaru was stuffed to the roof with gear. We were left with just two seats. There was no rear view through the rearview mirror. I deemed it a perfect opportunity to listen to the dozen or two new releases that had been sent to me in the hopes of a review.

As we eased up I-505 toward our first bathroom stop at Granzella’s in Williams I popped in and pulled out of the dash player one mundane or truly awful release after another until I got to Victor Wainwright and The Wildroots’ fourteen track CD aptly named Lit Up! The first track,”Big Dog’s Runnin’ This Town” played to one of my guilty pleasures - Jump Blues. Not only is it Jump Blues, it is some of the best new Jump Blues in recent memory. I salivated over the prospect of the next thirteen tracks.

I wasn’t disappointed. Wainwright is the lead vocalist and plays an acoustic piano. He co-wrote seven of the tracks on the CD with producer, arranger, acoustic guitar player, bass player and percussionist Stephen Dees. Dees also provided five of his own originals including ”Big Dog’s Runnin’ This Town.” Wainwright teamed up with electric and resonator guitarist Greg Gumpel to write “Coin Operated Woman.” Wainwright and Dees shared writing honors with blues player the Reverend Billy “C.J.” Wirtz on “Honky Tonk Heaven,” a song dedicated to Jesse Wainwright, Victor’s boogie piano player grandfather. Weston Bradigan helped Wainwright pen the final track “Let It Be the Same.”

This is not a Jump Blues album. The band has mastered all types of blues. The songs run from Delta Blues to Country Blues to Gospel to New Orleans tinged Cajun to electric Chicago Blues to West Coast Blues to Modern Blues and everything in between. The band is rounded out by Patricia Ann Dees on tenor saxophone and backing vocals, Billy Dean on drums and Ray Guiser on tenor saxophone and clarinet. The album is stacked with guest musicians - tenor and baritone saxophone, saxcello and clairnet player Charlie DeChant; mouth harpist Mark “Muddyharp” Hodgson; Hammond B3 organist Chris Stephenson; trombonist Bob Dionne; trumpet player Ken Titmus; and “The Little Pups” identified as Chickie Baby, Cat Daddy, Six String, AreBe and Hounddog Man, as backing vocalists on ”Big Dog’s Runnin’ This Town.” Time merrily flew by and I found myself drumming on the steering wheel, seat, armrest and dashboard.

Before I knew it we were at Granzella’s. We went inside, used the facilities, sampled the olives, and got back in the car. I looked down at my feet where there were still almost a dozen discs that I had not yet heard and about three more hours in the car. I hesitated. Then, I popped Lit Up! back in for a second time. I let it run for almost an hour and a half all the way to Red Bluff. Why go with something else when you’ve got something this good?"

The Ripple Effect - Old School http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/

Victor has a strong voice, with just the right amount of gruffness to convince on songs like the opener “Big Dog’s Runnin’ This Town”, a fast paced shuffle which rocks along with the horns pushing hard and the piano pounding. “Busted flat in New York, down on your luck, now ain’t it a pity. Got a one way ticket on a ship of fools. Look out little dog, it’s time you learned the rules” is an extract from the lyrics from this great opener to the CD. “Ting Bang Bong” features harp on a pounding blues which conjures up the ghost of Howling Wolf. I particularly liked “Subliminal Criminal”, a slice of New Orleans with great piano and a strong chorus line: “Subliminal criminal don’t give a damn, got the whole world in the palm of his hands”.

“Walk Away My Blues” is a mid-paced blues and the longest cut on the disc. The horns support the rhythm and the piano takes the main solo. A real change of pace occurs with “Dixie Highway” which features acoustic guitar, bass and growling harp, a song that reminisces about the South, and “Weeds”, another acoustic tune with clarinet to the fore. Here the song talks of the hard work involved in working the land: “Dig down deep, plant them seeds, without hard work nothing grows but weeds.”

“Little Ole’ Shack” is a song about a remote juke joint which sounds like a great place to spend an evening: “A little ‘ole shack up on the hill about a half a mile from the whiskey still. The preacher won’t like it, but your daddy sure will” is an example of the lyrics on this nicely rocking piece. Title track “Lit Up!” is a song about being not just in love but aflame with desire. The harp features as a support to the vocal and the piano takes the main solo with the horns in close support. “Our Last Goodbye” is a far more somber piece, the Hammond providing gentle support and Victor’s vocal really expressing the pain of the ruptured relationship: “I believe it’s a sin, you know it’s a crime to waste each other’s life living a lie. Living in denial is no way to live, just lay it on the line now, something’s got to give. Look me in the eye, it’s time for our last goodbye.” “Don’t Doubt It ‘ce est bon’” makes a good contrast in tone with its positive chorus about enjoying what you have. “Coin Operated Woman” is an amusing song, a cautionary tale of the lady friend who is costing Victor all his money. A frantic pace on the piano sets the tone and the horns bounce off the riff of this fun piece. “Pile Of Blues” is another acoustic piece with harp, brushes on the drums and acoustic bass. “I can’t begin to tell you about the state I’m in. I had way too much to drink last night; can’t quite remember what I did but I’m sure it wasn’t right” sets the tone for Victor who has “stepped in a big pile of blues”!

“Honky Tonk Heaven” is a terrific foot stomper, a real boogie woogie workout on the piano for Victor, the horns baying along, a song about another of those legendary clubs: “Tell Saint Peter it’s all right, the pearly gates are coming down tonight; we’re going to raise a little hell in Honky Tonk Heaven tonight.” A superb tenor sax solo precedes more rocking boogie piano on what is probably the standout track on the CD for me.

I liked the variety of this well recorded CD which is full of excellent songs and performances. Victor has a big personality on stage that comes across on this record. I would expect this CD to further cement his reputation as one of the rising stars of the blues world."

Blues Blast Magazine

"Victor Wainwright and Stephen Dees must have figured if it worked before, it can work out again, and boy were they right, with the release of their newest collaboration Victor Wainwright & The Wildroots "Lit Up!". Considered to be a potent mix of "Power-house blues, Memphis soul, and roots rock’n’roll", Victor Wainwright & The Wildroots, along with Guest Musicians Charlie DeChant, Mark "Muddyharp" Hodgson, Chris Stephenson, Bob Dionne, Ken Titmus, deliver a Sophomore release that is truly second to none. 

"Lit Up!" consists of 14 solid Tracks with Victor Wainwright and fellow Producer/Bassist Stephen Dees, writing or co-writing all of the songs. In addition to Victor Wainwright tickling the ivories on "Lit Up!", he also does the Lead Vocals, and he does them about as masterfully as any singer out there today, reminding me a lot of the vocal style of Dr. John. The backing band for this album, is as their Debut release "Beale Street to the Bayou", the Wildroots and consists of Stephen Dees (Bass/Acoustic Guitar/Percussion), Greg Gumpel (Resonator/Electric Guitar), Patricia Ann Dees (Tenor sax/Backing Vocals), Billy Dean (Drums), and Ray Guiser (Tenor sax/Clarinet). It does not take that long of a listen, into this album, to see why The Wildroots are considered "one of the tightest smokin’ bands on the scene". 

The main man on "Lit Up!" is of course Victor Wainwright and his climb to the top of the heap of great Boogie Style Piano players and performers is pretty well complete, as a few recent quotes surely prove. “Victor Wainwright, wields a mighty left hand and a robust vocal delivery that brims with the very spirit of the blues.  (Sheryl & Don Crow - Nashville Blues Society), “Extremely diverse with great songwriting, exceptional arrangements, flawless playing and vocals soulful enough to make Otis Redding sit up and take notice” (Bill Wilson - Billtown Blue Notes), “Victors’ piano playing is exciting and soulful, along with his strong vocals. Victor is a blues star on the rise. ” (Honey Piazza, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers). 

From Top to Bottom, Side to Side, and Front To Back, "Lit Up!" is just simply put, One Great Album, and in more ways than one, it will remind you of a least one of the greats, that being Dr. John. Victor Wainwright and his amazing backing band The Wildroots, have with "Lit Up!", firmly entrenched themselves as a Blues Force to be reckoned with. From the Piano pounding opening Track "Big Dog's Runnin' This Town", to the Soulful Backyard Bluesy singing on "Pile of Blues", "Lit Up!" is one great ride. 

For those of you whom like the Piano style delivery of the Blues, "Lit Up!" is a must have album to your collection." 

Blues Underground
Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)

"Lit Up" is the second release for Victor Wainwright & The Wildroots and with the exception of the drummer, the rest of the band are all returning veterans. Backing up their front man - Victor Wainwright, on piano and vocals are: Stephen Dees on bass, acoustic guitar and percussion; Greg Gumpel on electric and Resonator guitar; Patricia Ann Dees on tenor sax and backing vocals; Billy Dean on drums; and Ray Guiser on tenor sax and clarinet. Guest musicians on this project include: Charlie DeChant on tenor & baritone sax, saxcello and clarinet; Mark "Muddyharp" Hodgson on harmonica; Chris Stephenson on Hammond B3 organ; Bob Dionne on trombone; Ken Titmus on trumpet; and the Little Pups (Chickie Baby, Cat Daddy, Six String, AreBe and Houndog Man) on backing vocals. The disc contains all original music penned by Stephen and Victor.

Wasting no time at all, the band jumps into full swing on the opening notes of the opening track and after that there's no looking back. Sounding like an out of control locomotive, Charlie's got that big baritone leading the rhythm section at full throttle. Without it slowing down to pick them up, Victor and Greg just jump right on and before you know it the piano and guitar are up to speed and all hell's breaking out. This is the kind of stuff that could turn a first time listener into a full time fan. Oh yeah, the song is titled "Big Dog's Runnin' This Town" and it features the Little Pups backing up the big guy on vocals.

On "Subliminal Criminal" you'll think Victor and his Krewe are performing on a passing by Mardi Gras float. This is real good ol' N'awlins honky tonkin' at it's finest. It features Bourbon Street type barrelhouse piano playing, Dixieland style horns and lots of howlin' and growlin' vocals. Throw me some beads, please!

From the sounds of this swingin' shuffle, I'm sure there's a lot of dancing going on at the "Little Ole Shack" up on the hill. Why there's even some going on right now at the House of Blewzz. This is the kind of song I rate by it's number of replays and trust me, there are going to be many. Victor's at his best on vocals, and the harmonizing between him and Patricia on the chorus lines is perfect. Just lock us in the little ole shack and throw the key away.

Quick! Get Victor some change. His "Coin Operated Woman" has taken everything he's got. Too bad he can't switch her over to run on rhythm, 'cause there's enough of it goin' on here to keep her running for a real long time. Stephen and Billy are on fire here and with Ray pushing them along on the tenor, this one totally rips.

I can think of worse things to step in, but Victor sounds quite down and out over stepping into a "Pile Of Blues". On this track the band goes from one extreme to another while sacrificing absolutely nothing along the way. Stephen and Greg on the acoustic and Resonator guitars compliment each other perfectly, Billy and Mark on the drums and harmonica are providing a precision soft rhythm, and Victor - borrowing some soul from the Doctor and a bit of growl from Satchmo, are amazing together on this perfectly done acoustic track. This is song of the year material if I've ever heard it.

Imagine the conversation in the huddle of a football game where the team with the ball has 3 seconds left, they're 80 yards from the goal line and they need a touchdown to win. The quarterback would obviously tell his best players to run as far and as fast as they can, right? "Honky Tonk Heaven" is that game, Victor is that quarterback and his players are all going all out. This one seriously rocks.

Other tracks that will light you up on "Lit Up" include: "Ting Tang Bang", "Walk Away My Blues", "Our Last Goodbye", "Dixie Highway", "Weeds", "Lit Up", "Don't Doubt It 'ce est bon", and "Let It Be The Same".

To learn more about Victor and the band and to sample & buy some of their music, stop by www.wildrootsrecords.com. Please make sure you tell him his buddy the Blewzzman sent ya."

"This is a winner folks. On 'Lit Up,’ Victor Wainwright and the Wildroots take you on a joyous aural journey from the back porches of the Georgia hills to the bayous of Louisiana, with stopovers in the jazz clubs of New Orleans, the R&B clubs of Memphis & Chicago and juke joints throughout the world…What you get from Victor Wainwright is ever single atom of his soul. With 'Lit Up,' Wainwright proves he deserves to be in the same sentence with the great blues-boogie piano players of today. Victor also shows the range of vocal-stylings he has mastered; leading juke joint call and repeats, channeling the great soul singers of all time and growling the blues.”

Music on the Couch - Vinny "Bond" Marini

"Here comes a musician who is now receiving great reviews by specialized media and of course I'm not going to question. This album clearly shows it and drives Victor Wainwright to the place he deserves. "Lit Up" is a real pleasure for the ears and shows Victor and his band are real blues masters, Memphis soul, rock 'n' roll, jump, New Orleans rhythm and blues and any other music style with Afro-American roots that faces them. This powerful well teamed band includes Victor on lead vocals and acoustic piano, Stephen Dees bass, acoustic guitar and percussion, Greg Gumpel guitars, Patricia Ann Dees tenor sax and vocals, Ray Guiser tenor sax and clarinet and Billy Dean drums. You will also find on these recordings some guest musicians such as Charlie DeChant tenor and baritone sax and clarinet, Mark Hodgson harmonica, Chris Stephenson Hammond B-3, Bob Dionne trombone and Ken Titmus trumpet. Fourteen impressive, cool, clean songs, with rich nuances inflexions and cadences, and a clear sound together with some arrangements that show the elegance of a bunch of professional musicians who really know what they are doing and how to display it. ESSENTIAL."

LA HORA DEL BLUES - Nov-Dec 2011
Barcelona SPAIN
http://www.lahoradelblues.com

Victor's voice sounds at times like a cross between Dr. John and Rick Estrin, keeping the best qualities of both-if a tenor sax could sing words, it would sound like Victor! The musicianship is stellar, but not blindingly virtuosoistic-every note perfectly placed, with nothing wasted. Ditto with the recording, it's clean and full, very well balanced and mixed.

Frankly, there isn't a bad tune on this disk, which is a rare thing nowadays-it's the kind of CD that can play all day and you wouldn't mind a bit. Lit Up comes highly recommended!!!"

FrancRobert - Twelve Bar Rag