Blue Plate Special ©

Blue Plate Special combine low-slung psychedelic blues grooves with gruff, roadhouse vocals on The Blues Ain't Pretty (self-release). This power trio's 10 cuts have R.P. Michaels belting the boogie lyrics, and he's a great singer. Best Cut: the swingy boogie of "Real Fast Life".---Ed Ivey - Blues Revue /April 2000

I continue to be amazed by the tremendous indie market that feeds the labels nowadays. Why? Well the talent pool is so deep and broad that you find all brands and interpretations, most of which carry a great deal of musical experience and worthiness. This biscuit is an example of that richly-fibered carpet called the blues.
The majority of the work is carried by a trio of musicians. Bandleader R. P. Michaels lays out (in delicate layers) the lead vocals, bass, keyboards, and guitar work. Gary Maier lays down the shufflin' drum work and Harry Binford provides the second guitar. Binford and Maier also share the vocal work with Michaels. Guests include harpist Mark Zelepugas and the background vocals of Charlie Prasma, as well as the voices of the Stumbling Pilgrim Choir (Ron, Charlie & Mark?).
While dubbing and layering are obvious, they are clearly interactive and reactive. Some cuts slump into the easy rock/blues groove while others stand out like bright lights on the highway. Tunes like the five-minute plus "Phone Call" and the slow and tempered "Not In The Mood" will fill your blues appetite. I know we've all heard it before! I call these powered-up blues with weighty rhythms and doubled and tripled lead tracks. The melodies are not constrictive, and they leave real room for the give and take!
Even when dissolving into rockin' harmonies, the Blue Plate Special is indeed a plate full of tasty tidbits. A mixing triumph, this effort carries some heavy blues material. Power Fender guitar and sparkling compositions. Totallly original music that will knock you out ... TKO stuff!---Mark A. Cole - Big City Blues / May 2000

As silky smooth as it is down and dirty, No Place to Fade, the first CD by Chicago trio Blue Plate Special, makes you wonder where these guys have been for so long. After nine years together making the rounds at all the local hot spots, their premeire release is nothing short of brilliant! Although their group acknowledges a range of influences from John Lee Hooker to Mose Allison and Leon Russell, just to name a few. Every last cut on this disc is a true original.
R.P. Michaels (presumably, songwriter and producer Ron Michael Parizek) wrings the gamut of emotion from a powerful set of vocal pipes and at the same time lays down a furious range of bass licks. And on the title cut, Harry Binford's searing guitar gouges at the bare walls for every last scrap of pain and heartbreak. At the same time, drummer Gary Maier keeps time with the utmost class and precision. In fact, each of the players seems to instinctively know when to move forward and when to step back. On "Fire Alarm", Maier picks up the lead with a bit of Texas swing; on "Millionaire", he kicks out a crisp and solid cut-time boogie.
These guys are equally at home on every facet of the blues diamond, and it seeems they know no boundaries. Tunes like "Homework" are reminiscent of the greats like Albert Collins, but roll the ball forward with a uniquely rich, dynamic texture. On "Dippin' In", Maier once again takes the lead with a funk-march intro while Binford crawls up and down the neck of his magic axe. All the while, Michaels is there to match him lick-for-lick on his ever-so-slightly fuzzed out bass. Now this is the blues!
No Place to Fade also features the guest vocals of Suzy Fields, and the smooth rollicking piano of Vince Willis. Taken as a whole, the disc has a very full sound (especially from a trio), with plenty of saturation and few sensory gaps. And when Michaels sings, every phrase is a testament. And his production is immaculate without being overly polished-- everything sounds completely live. No Place to Fade is a superior accomplishment, and one of the great first efforts in Chicago Blues.
---Bob Gabrella - In The Mix/ May 1998

"Your album is the most delicious blues record I've heard in at least about a year! Valid for each and every track." - Paul Bondarovski - Midnight Special Blues Radio - LIVE365

This is guitar driven blues served up just right! Had our phone lines tied up for hours when we played tracks off this LP. Ron Michaels snarling vocals rips into each track and tells you how it is... and Harry Binford's smokin' guitar work treats you right throughout the disc. All this and these boys come from Chicagoland. All I can say is "Can You Dig It!" ... HELL YEAH!!! ... and I'll do it again too!

John Bowles / Blueswebradio.com
WGVE 88.7 fm, Gary Indiana
"The Blues You Can Use" radio show
with Clarence Stevens, Koko Taylor and John Bowles - John Bowles/ Blueswebradio.com

This is a romping stomping blues rock output with strong gutbucket vocals a powerhouse
rhythm section and lead guitar that invokes comparison to the three kings (Freddy, Albert & B.B)
plus at times having flavours of Hendrix...a strong mix for sure..!!

Mike Butler

producer & host, "Blues for Hippies"
The Studio Fm (NZ). - Studio FM- Show "Blues For Hippies"

You guys are a DREAM BAND!!!
I listened to this CD last night with total focus and I was BLOWN AWAY!! Many attempt to fuse Blues and Rock but almost all fail ... you guys have such an honest, urgent, raw, powerhouse sound that it literally lifted me off my chair and had me yelling " YEAH!! That's it!! They've got it!! ". There are Good, Excellent and Hall of Fame levels ... you guys are right in the top 10%, we're putting it on our Influential Top 100 CD's chart !

The ‘proof-is-in-the-pudding’ and the Sound quality is primo with totally clear-as-a-bell crispness and the mix on every single song is perfect. Blue Plate Special has been around for over 30 years and at one time included Studebaker John, who has since become major Chicago Blues figure. The band now is Ron Michaels (a.k.a. Ron Parizek) on vocals, bass and keyboards, Harry Binford on guitar and Kevin Johnston on drums. Binford is a wonderfully inventive and mature guitarist with an unending supply of sounds and tricks. Great tone too! Kevin Johnston already has a big rep. in Chicago as one of the finest young drummers on the circuit. But, the final winning ingredient is Michaels’ voice. Vocals are always, it seems, the weak link with Caucasian Blues bands, but Blue Plate Special has an Ace-up-their-sleeve with a singer who sounds like he comes from the Shreveport, Louisiana Club scene. Grit, and plenty of it, defines Michaels’ singing style and it’s a natural sounding (as opposed to forced and imitating) easy on the ears, roar that would be just right for the din of a crowded roadhouse. So, what these guys have done is meld very impressive individual talents together with a unique signature sound that could be described as Hard-Drivin’ Blues with a dose of nasty funkiness. (Just right for any Biker Bash in Sturgis!) In a perfect Music World, Blue Plate Special would be hailed as Exceptional and they’d be on the road 300-plus nights a year and Festival-Headliners. We can always hope that the Music Scene straightens itself out and starts embracing Talent and Soulfulness again, but in the meantime, the folks in Illinois are getting their Blues Rocked every weekend!
“Hard Enuff” opens this CD with a bang. Harry’s wah-wah is deadly and Ron really roars out the verses – any and all Guitar freaks will go ape-shit over this track and it’ll also grab your tush and have you dancing. “Can You Dig It” is proof of Michaels’ song-writing mastery and this should be a Hit on the Shag Market as ‘feets-can’t-stay-still’. It’s a Boogie a’ la Canned Heat, fused with hard-driving’ guitar work that proves beyond a doubt that Harry Binford is a monster in the mold of Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Stunning! “Workin’ On Love” is a slower, hip-grinding, wah-wah heavy number that one can picture strippers getting down with. This band is a Power House and they should be ruling both Rock and Blues scenes. “Rocket In Your Pocket” is another goodtime up-tempo dance floor crammer. Kevin Johnston is like a freight train on those drums. How often do you hear an album that’s a Blast to listen to? This is a riotous party from start to finish. I never heard their first 2 CDs but “Can You Dig It!!” is one of the finest discs I’ve heard in the last decade. “She’s Got My Number” is a Funk-Blues that shows off more of Harry’s wah-wah magic and Johnston even gives us a tasty little drum solo. Nice! Harry is also a master at laying down the perfect rhythm guitar tracks and I’m sure Don Griffin had some input in that respect, but perhaps Binford doesn’t even need advice? “I Like It Like That” is not the Chris Kenner tune, despite what it says on the jacket. It’s more of a hard-drivin’ straight-forward Blues featuring Mark Zelepugas on harp. It’s a raucous bar-room anthem with a jubilant chorus that definitely causes audience participation. “Don’t Lose The Spirit” is dedicated to the people of New Orleans and, of course, no one’s more connected to New Orleans in a Spiritual sense than Musicians the World over. “Have A Little Faith”, the John Hiatt masterpiece, is delivered in fine fashion with Michaels’ piano and organ work giving superlative texture on top of Johnston’s drumming. I hope John Hiatt has heard this version of his song. It’s heavenly. Well, every time I’ve listened to “Can You Dig It!!” I get more and more convinced that Blue Plate Special needs to be ranked in the TOP 5 of Blues and Rock bands in North America. Very, very few bands still have that so-important connection to what it’s supposed to be about. When I hear this album, it rekindles my fires and the belief that Music Has The Power To Change The World for The Better. 5 Big Bottles for a perfect example of what Blue Rock (or Hard-Rockin’ Blues…) should sound like. May this CD get to the ears of millions, and if anyone you know complains about the crap music of 2007, just play “Can You Dig It!!” for them.
…A. Grigg
- Real Blues Magazine/ Andy Grigg

AWESOME !! This Group's CD's Should be in YOUR CD Player NOW!!! - The Rewind Show w/ Jimmy Jay

go to www.bluesrocks.net
For Free download of the featured issue with our 10 page cover story.
Thank You. - Paul Bondarovski / BLUES ROCKS THE WORLD

An Interview with: Blue Plate Special 
By: Dennis M. Kelly 

Who are the members of Blue Plate Special and what do you do in the band?
R.P. Michaels - Vocals, bass and keyboards
Harry Binford – Guitar
Kevin Johnston - Drums
 
There are photos on your website (www.blueplatespecialband.com) that date back to 1975, when did Blue Plate Special officially begin?
We originally formed the band back in 1969 at College of DuPage . There have been additional members at various times but Ron and Harry have been there since the beginning along with drummer Gary Maier who just retired about one and a half years ago. Kevin joined us in 2004. We met Kevin while being the house band for Rory’s in Addison Monday nite jam. At one time Studebaker John played Harp with us and Carson Landis was on 2nd guitar. Pretty much everyone in the band has been playing their instruments since late grade school, it’s the Beatles fault.
 
Specifically who has inspired your playing the most?
Harry would tell you his favorites are Freddie King, Albert King as well as B.B.
Jimi Hendrix, throw in some Al Di Meola and Carlos Santana.
Mine are Paul Butterfield, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Joe Cocker for vocals and Willie Dixon, Rocko Prestia (Tower of Power) for bass and Al Kooper and Otis Spann for keyboards.
Kevin would probably tell you Mitch Mitchel, Buddy Miles and all the Santana drummers.
 
You’ve performed with other musicians too, right? Who were they?
Kevin was formerly the drummer for Buddy Guy and Harry has played with Lavelle White as well as a reformation some years back of Chicago ’s Babysitters with Bill McFarland. I had some brief opportunities playing bass with Muddy Waters, Sam Lay and JB Hutto as well as Studebaker John and the Hawks.
 
Tell me your philosophy on music and the Blues in particular
I think our job is to provide positive energy music to inspire as well as to entertain and help you get you’re dancin’ shoes on. I think Blues music is here to help you understand the things that go wrong in this life and get over them. Blues is like Zen, there are a lot of good stories out there to help you deal with or make sense of our or others errors. I don’t write songs that dwell on problems and push for revenge. Mine are more about getting past the problem and finding solutions to make our lives better. Hell yes!!
 
What keeps a band like yours together for so long?
Our longevity is due to the fact we love this music and we respect each others individuality. We truly enjoy performing together, and this shows in our intuitive abilities to play off each other, leading to constantly evolving versions of all our material. This way it’s always fun for us and for the people who come to see us.
 
Now, you just released a new album recently entitled “Can You Dig It”, how has that been received by the Blues community?
This year we released “Can You Dig It!” and it appears the world Blues Community really can, dig it that is. Once again, it’s original songs, but this time we included 3 covers that our fans have always requested we record. Currently as of 6/11/06 “Can You Dig It!” is #1 on ElectricBlues Radio, the largest reporting professional blues internet station on Live365. The songs “I Like It Like That” and “Hard Enuff” have been #1 in April and May respectively. At the same time, “Workin’ On Love”, “Luck Runs Out”, “Yer’ Bad Behind”, and “Hard Enuff” from the new CD have also been in the Top 10 collectively for the last 3 months on Midnight Special Blues Radio (France and Worldwide). Because of our popularity, they have played two songs from our prior album “The Phone Call” and “Tell the Truth” which also have become #1 hits. So far, 11 songs from the new album are being played worldwide on Blue Icewater Radio (east coast), Bluebird Radio (England), as well as on Canadian Radio and many midwestern Blues stations and programs. The great thing about internet radio is that the listeners vote you up or down. We are incredibly happy. There is hope for all independent bands out there. Keep plugging away and record your best efforts and get them to the right audience via Radio, Internet, Satellite and Terrestrial.
 
The Blues Ain't Pretty - released 01/15/00 and No Place To Fade - released 1998 are your only two other CD releases, correct? If not, what else do you have out?
Over the years, starting back in 1969, we have released 1 vinyl album and 4 EP’s on Summit Records, but these are no longer in print. Our 1st CD “No Place to Fade” was released in 1998. It got us some airplay on WDCB College of DuPage and some sporadic airplay here and there and some great reviews from national blues mags. The 2nd CD “The Blues Ain’t Pretty” got more great reviews and wider global airplay in Australia , Poland , and England as well as here on Public Radio Blues Shows.
 
I see by your schedule, you tend to stay put in Geneva , is there any reason for that?
We play at Rain in Geneva a lot because they really appreciate us there and it has become our home base. We will be playing the 1st Friday and the 3rd Saturday of every month at Rain, Geneva throughout 2007. Rain is at the corner of Rt. 25 and Roosevelt. It’s a great Restaurant with a cool bar. People like to dance and have a great time there.
 
Over your years, what are some of the more memorable places you’ve played?
Some of the coolest places we’ve played are: The Cellar in Arlington Heights which used to be the Epicenter of Rock in Chicago, B’Ginnings, Fitzgeralds, in the suburbs and Alice’s Revisited, Peppers Lounge, The High Chapparal, Kingston Mines, Metro, in Chicago. Concerts with Leon Russell and Edgar Winter were also quite an experience!


Have you always retained your same Blues sound since the beginning or did you change a lot?
Over the years, we have pretty much developed OUR contemporary blues sound. If you could mix the essence of Jimi, Muddy, Albert King, Ray Charles, John Hiatt, Greg Allman, Robin Trower, and Freddie King all into a bottle you would somehow be close to putting our spin on the Blues. The one thing that repeatedly gets said is that we are an Original act. Big City Blues Magazine called us “a totally original act that will Knock You Out!!! TKO stuff.
 
What does the future hold in store for Blue Plate Special?
Hopefully, the future holds even more good things because the best is starting now with the airplay, worldwide. I’m getting emails from various industry leaders at major record companies. People are contacting us and that is really encouraging. We want to be the Blues act you always come to see in Chicagoland. Right now, if you want more info on Blue Plate Special go to www.blueplatespecialband.com for CD’s, Pics, and a calendar. If you would like to book BPS, go to www.sonicbids.com/BluePlateSpecial and read info and press.
- Chicago Music Guide / with Dennis Kelly