Altered Five Blues Band

Hammer & Chisel

Blind Pig Records

The Milwaukee-based Altered Five Blues Band was formed in 2002. They released their debut covers album, Bluesified, in 2006. Their 2012 all-original recording Gotta Earn It received a rave review in DownBeat magazine. The band’s third album, Cryin’ Mercy, won Best Self-Produced CD at the 2015 International Blues Challenge and earned two Blues Blast nominations. Their fourth album, Charmed and Dangerous, produced by Tom Hambridge, was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2018 and reached No. 1 on the Roots Music Report Blues Album Chart. Since 2012, the band has focused exclusively on original material.

The Altered Five Blues Band lineup includes Jeff Taylor on vocals; Jeff Schroedl on guitar and as the primary songwriter; Mark Solveson on bass; Alan Arber on drums; and new member Steve Huebler on keyboards. The album is dedicated to the memory of longtime band member and friend Raymond Tevich. Hammer & Chisel is once again produced by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge and features special guest Jason Ricci on harmonica on three tracks, along with a horn section of Max Abrams on saxophone and Julio Diaz on trumpet on one track. The album was recorded by engineer Michael Saint-Leon and mixed and mastered by Hambridge and Saint-Leon at The Switchyard in Nashville, Tennessee.

Hammer & Chisel is the band’s eighth studio recording. Over their career, the Altered Five Blues Band has performed in thirteen countries around the world. Three of the songs were written by the full band, one by the band without Taylor, three by Schroedl and Taylor, one by Schroedl and Hambridge, and three by Schroedl alone. Schroedl is the former Executive Vice President of Hal Leonard Publishing and is now head of the Blind Pig Records label.

The album opens with the horn-driven “I Got It Good,” as Taylor sings, “The path is right, trouble’s gone, I’m living free and easy, my heart is strong… somebody please knock on wood, right now I got it good,” while the rhythm section lays down a powerful foundation.

“Dare Me to Do It” features Jason Ricci on harmonica as Taylor chimes, “Dare me to do it, dare me to hold you tight… I got one thing on my mind that will make you feel alright.” Schroedl’s guitar ignites “Who Can You Trust,” with Taylor reflecting, “People say this, people say that, it’s hard to tell who’s got your back… who can you trust, tell me something I believe.”

On “Lotta Love Left in Me,” featuring Steve Huebler on piano and Schroedl on guitar, Taylor moans, “Just got to find the one who’s right… I need a good woman to hold onto tonight.” The title track, “Hammer & Chisel,” finds Huebler switching to Hammond B-3 as Taylor belts, “Live like a rebel, nobody’s ever gonna tell me what to do.”

“Can’t Shake It” is a driving boogie that highlights the rhythm section of Solveson and Arber, as Taylor groans, “We all got things we can’t change… I can’t shake it.” On “Headline Blues,” Taylor captures modern anxiety, singing, “Every day we get the headline blues… I can’t turn it off, it’s everywhere I turn.”

“Hell or High Water” delivers a fierce declaration of loyalty, with Taylor shouting, “Come hell or high water, I got you.” “My Love Ain’t a Lie” features Huebler on Hammond organ as Taylor pleads, “I stand before you, a man of my word… my love ain’t a lie.” On “Crazy One,” Huebler returns to piano as Taylor bursts, “I’d be crazy for just one minute without you in it.”

The album closes with “The Will of Man,” a reflective anthem as Taylor croons, “When the world says no and fear takes hold, give it all you can—you got the will of man.”

Hammer & Chisel showcases the kind of top-tier performance that only comes from musicians who have spent more than two decades honing their collective sound. With a boldness reminiscent of Howlin’ Wolf, the Altered Five Blues Band prove they remain a powerful creative force in modern blues.

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