The Scott O’Neal Band

Call Me Mr. Blues

Lightning in a Bottle Records

Scott O’Neal grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he began his musical journey as a teenager, gaining regional radio airplay in the local band Zachary Thax. After moving to Arizona, O’Neal opened a blues nightclub in Prescott and began his Arizona blues journey, making lifelong friendships with some of the state’s best blues artists. In 2002, the Scott O’Neal Band was born. O’Neal and his band won the Northern Arizona International Blues Challenge in 2020 and competed in the 2021 Memphis IBC competition. O’Neal is also an Arizona Blues Hall of Fame inductee.

O’Neal, on guitar and vocals, is joined by guitarist Brian Waterbury; keyboardist Carl Dalgren; bassist Mark Winley; and drummer Mike Hutchenson. Backing vocalists include Mary Kelley, Meri McKee, and Casandra Long. The horn section includes Max Bouchard, trombone; Brad Moors, trumpet and flugelhorn; and Alex Holland, tenor and alto saxophones. The horn arrangements are by Dalgren. The album is co-produced by O’Neal and Col. Darryl Harrelson and recorded at Raven Sound Studios in Prescott, Arizona. All of the songs were written by O’Neal.

The album opens with “Nothin’ to Gain,” as O’Neal sings, “You know I love you baby, it’s no surprise, the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you look with your eyes…If I ain’t got your sweet love I ain’t got nothin’ to gain.”

On “Love Somebody,” O’Neal chimes, “late at night when the moon is rising and your laying all alone, stareing at the ceiling, wondering why nobody is calling on the phone, you get the feeling like you’ve done somebody wrong, I get the feeling your cols as ice…you got to love somebody, you got to love somebody, somebody like me.”

“Just Another Day,” with the horns, features O’Neal as he chants, “Just another day, in the neighborhood, me and Jimmy plans were looking real good, no one cares…how we pass our time away, maybe I could see somebody, someday…just another day in the neighborhood.”

On “Good Luck with That,” O’Neal groans, “how can it be bad, when it feels so good, all I can say, good luck with that…nobody tells you how to act, all I can say is good luck with that.”

“Givin’ Me the Blues,” with some great organ from Dalgren and the twin guitars, features O’Neal as he cries out, “You got lost with him in mind…your gonna wake up, breaking down from the weight of it all, you got trouble on your way, I got news for you, baby, your givin’ me the blues.”

On “Down and Dirty Blues,” O’Neal moans, “going down to the nightclub, man the joint is jumping, everybody dance on ’cause the band is humming, just as I was gonna show my stuff…low down and dirty blues…now it’s Saturday night and I just got paid, I got money to burn, gonna check out the honies, that’s how I spend my money…low down and dirty blues.”

“Cash Is King” features O’Neal as he howls, “You need more than change in your pocket…there’s one thing I know for sure, Cash is king, I need money…if you ain’t got no cash, you ain’t got no honey.”

On the title track, “Call Me Mr. Blues,” O’Neal shouts, “If your lonely, need some company, call me on the phone, if you can call on me, I’ll be right there, there by your side, if you want I’ll take you for a ride, yes I will…I can make a woman laugh, I can make her cry…they call me, Mr. Blues.”

“It Ain’t Worth Bitin’,” with piano from Dalgren, features O’Neal as he swears, “Louisiana hot sauce laying on chicken and barbque…nothin else is worth a fact it ain’t worth bitin’ if it don’t bite back, you gotta give your mouth a fact, it ain’t worth bitin’ if it don’t bite back.”

On “Walk Away Blues,” O’Neal wails, “she’s got a really great figure…when she turns her back on me, now I was wondering just what I said, to make her walk away from me, loving her is easy, and then some times it’s tough…I love to watch her walk away.”

“That’s What Love Is” is a slow blues featuring O’Neal as he declares, “your smile is like sunshine, it brightens up my day…you tender love late at night…let’s take our chances and roll the dice…well, start all over again…that’s what love is.”

On “Free Man,” O’Neal belts, “Look no further, I got a story to tell, that woman I love, she puts me through hell, woke up this morning and she was gone, looked all around but she was nowhere to be found, now she’s one, and I’m a free man.”

The closer, “Time for Walkin’,” with more great piano from Dalgren, features O’Neal as he croons, “Baby, baby, why do you want to do me that way, you turned my sunshine into a rainy day, I love you baby, you know that’s a fact, but it all just hides the fact…it’s time for walkin’. Love can make you happy, keep your feet on the floor, but it’s time for walkin’.”

O’Neal proves himself a great singer/songwriter and guitarist on these fine tunes. Call Me Mr. Blues should help Scott O’Neal receive wider recognition, as it demands to be listened to. Thank you, Mr. Blues.

Richard Ludmerer

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