SWAMP SLINGER-

Mel Melton and the Wicked Mojos carry the Cajun torch with classy smarts on Swamp Slinger, crossing Mel's harmonica with the mossy Louisiana sound usually heard from accordionists. Melton paid dues with guitarists Sonny Landreth and Paul Black back in the mid-70's, and with Bayou Rhythm, an Epic Records act featuring Landreth. This disc features Landreth at his twangy best as well as sensational country-blues guitar work by Jason Barker. It's too hard to pick a best cut - this is all top-shelf action - but the trade-offs between Barker and Melton on opener "Cher Catin" is pure-dee bayou fun! Extra Live Bonus: Melton is a world-renownwd Cajun chef who cooks for the fans at shows, making him Coolest Cat of the Month

Ed Livey, Blues Review


SWAMP SLINGER-

Fans of Cajun and zydeco music will love this disc by singer/harmonicist Mel Melton, who is also a renowned and award-winning cajun cuisine chef. A long time crony of C.J.Chenier, Melton has been living two lives for over twenty years now, as he hops back and forth between the kitchen and the stage, becoming one of America's best zydeco harp players (a very sparsely populated genre) and also one of the best Louisiana cuisine preparers.
Despite his love of the stage, Melton semi-retired from music to open two of the best Cajun restaurants in Chicago in 1986. He's since moved back to his original home in North Carolina and started a new band, The Wicked Mojos, a band that's pure South with a little bit of everything thrown in: blues, zydeco, Cajun swamp pop, New Orleans R & B - a mighty fine gumbo actually, just right for dancing. Landreth guests on guitar and C.J.Chenier adds lots of accordion, while Melton blows lots of fine harp. The Wicked Mojos are a fine band with lots of versatility.
There are eight Melton originals and they are all quite good. A big winner here - musically the album's great and Melton has talent to spare and a big future. 4 bottles for a CD that's a real breath of fresh air. Close your eyes and you'll go for a trip back up the bayous.

Andy Grigg, Real Blues

MOJO DREAM-

Since Mel "The Zydeco Chef" Melton entered the scene in 1973 with the release of Blues Attack, he's effectively earned his own spot on the menu of contemporary blues artists. With an unorthodox zydeco harp style and a flare for adding flavor to everything he prepares, Melton is a true original. His sharp, amazingly refined harp sound is incomparable to any other player's.
On his latest from Nightfly, Melton's harp simmers, bubbles, pops and spurts like a pot of steaming gumbo. And in each spoonful it's easy to pick out distinct flavors of blues, zydeco, Cajun, jazz and funk. But the disc's most impressive feat is the addition of a number of accomplishd cooks without spoiling the stew. By bringing together some of the finest names in zydeco, Melton's recipe is only made more delicious. Melton's longtime friend C.J.Chenier astounds with his accordion, and feisty former Allman Brother Johnny Neel handles keyboards. Dana Robbins takes sax, Quentin Ware mans trumpet, and Pierro Maraino supplies the beats. Even The Red Hot Louisiana Band's Clifford Alexander complements the mix with some home-style rubboard here and there.
Standouts are the instrumental "RJ's Boogie," where Melton shows his mastery of the chromatic harp, and "Lake Charles Girl," a soulful ballad of lost love played to a waltz with Brian Fechino on the mandolin. "Pedal to the Metal," complete with funky horn section and James Brown attitude, should get jam lovers going. Neel's keyboards secure a foundation behind Melton's smooth baritone on the thoughtful "Sitting in the Dark."
On "That's Alright," Melton surrenders vocals to the song's writer, Chris Carroll, for a Louisiana shuffle. The album closes with the slow-paced "Summer Moon Blues"; its meloncholy melody gives you time to pull your napkin from your shirt, sit back and enjoy. Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos have enjoyed considerable success overseas, and rightly so. Harmonica enthusiasts, Cajun music fans and zydeco lovers should seek out Mojo Dream.

Jerome Edwards, Blues Review

MOJO DREAM-

Good-God-A-Mighty, this is a 6 1/2 HARP SALUTE CD on a 5 scale! It is off the meter, people! From the opening intro Mel starts chewing on that low harp and making it talk like he is at the Crossroads and calling to the devil to let him know that he already plays good enough and does not need him. Go on with your bad self, Mel, you are one harmonica playing mother-fo. On the second cut, "RJ's Boogie," Mel shows you that he is as good on the chromatic as he is on the diatonic harmonica. Mel and his band have progressed to the next level. They are world class. He has an attack on the harp that I am unable to find a comparison to. Believe it or not, he sounds like a cross between Rod Piazza and William Clarke, especially on that second cut. Simply awe inspiring. Mel and the band can go from boogie and blues to a laid back Cajun tune without skipping a beat. What a versatile group. And when Mel is joined by those horns and big organ, hell, they can stand toe to toe with anyone in the world, period. Another thing that I like about this CD is the various tones and sounds that Mel gets from the harp in different tunes. This CD is bound to please lovers of blues, boogie, Cajun, slow blues and everything in between. This CD gets my personal seal of approval, and I guarantee that you will have this in your CD player more than anything in your collection for a long time to come.

.Big Daddy Bluzharp