Music Review: The Nick Moss Band, featuring Dennis Gruenling, The High Cost of Low Living

The Nick Moss Band is certainly full of talent.

The Nick Moss Band, featuring Dennis Gruenling
The High Cost of Low Living

Head honcho of Chicago's Alligator Records has a knack of unearthing high quality talent to make every new release list a must read.

Oftentimes the new releases feature talent that's been around the traps for a while, with Bruce Iglauer giving them studio time when they are ripe for delivering top shelf recordings.

On The High Cost of Low Living, the addition of harp man Dennis Gruenling to the Nick Moss Band is a big plus.

He's a gifted, expressive and highly individual player, and he completely gels with the other band members.

Forty-nine-year-old Moss has honed his Chicago blues sound over countless nights on the road, and until now recorded 12 albums for his own label.

The jump to Alligator is great timing, as with the addition of Gruenling to the line-up.
Moss' biggest claim to fame is undoubtedly his role as lead guitarist in the Jimmy Rogers Band, so the man sure has paid his dues.

Aside from an Otis Spann cover, and the almost compulsory Rambling on my Mind, Moss, Gruenling and the young band deliver a Chicago blues sound that's reminiscent of back in the day. Tight, high octane, and just darn good.

It's hard to fault Iglauer's nose for another good record, and he's certainly on the button with The High Cost of Low Living.