"Stylistically the effect of the music parallels coming home from a trip to Maxwell Street with a box of dusty 45s and 78s on labels like Ora-Nelle, Blue Lake, Parrot or Cobra - rough and tumble, meat and potatoes Chicago blues. The Cash Box Kings continue and strengthen their breakout from the Midwestern blues bar circuit to international recognition as recording and performing artists. Notice is duly served that they are ready for inclusion among the illustrious torch bearers for not one but two proud blues traditions [delta and post-war Chicago]. With a deep commitment to those roots and a freshness which has generated nine originals on this CD, the Cash Box Kings are starting to make their own mark."-Dick Shurman, noted blues producer and critic
“The word on the street is that The Cash Box Kings are the up and coming young guns of the Chicago blues scene, and with good reason. The Kings are an outfit dedicated to the spirit of post-war Chicago blues and the Delta blues of the 1920s and 1930s, not to the tired song list that many of the bands that also ply these styles tend to stick to. The music has the liveliness and energy that only roots music genius can provide, and it is easy to see just what the Kings’ growing reputation is based on." – Chicago Blues Guide
"This accomplished band of musicians capture the vibe of pre- and post-war blues and individually, each flawlessly spins it in innovative ways.”- Living Blues Magazine
“I live my life around playing Old School Chicago Blues and when I worked with the Cash Box Kings, I knew I was ‘home.’ They are masters of the style and language of that music, playing deep on the most advanced level.” -Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin, Muddy Waters' guitarist 1972-80
“For those questioning whether the blues is still alive . . . here is your answer.” -Blues & Co. (France)
“Has all the unpretentious fun of a bar band at 2 AM, but it also has that extra freshness and energy that lifts a band out of the realm of the ordinary. The Cash Box Kings post-war style isn’t a gimmick. This band is going places.” -Genevieve Williams Blues Revue
“The Cash Box Kings have thrown together a Chicago masterpiece [I-94 Blues] here. These guys are students of that old school tradition. They dig for the deeper dirt to find the gold. In doing that deeper pull, the CBKs unearth old forgotten gems and also cover themselves with their own sound of raw energy, economy, and feel that fully encapsulate the sound they are trying to identify with. They are a throw back to when ensemble work was that, equal parts making a whole for the good of the blues.” -Juke Joint Soul
"A textbook lesson in classic Chicago blues, (Cash Box Kings') 'I-94 Blues' is brimming with bravado and impulsive musical spirit - a can't-miss effort." -Elmore Magazine
“These guys play Chicago blues the way they were meant to be played. The Cash Box Kings and their friends are in sync and play together with reckless abandon. This is a great album [I-94 Blues] and it needs to be part of your collection if you want to hear the best of today’s Chicago blues!” -Steve Jones, Illinoisblues.com
"The Cash Box Kings are Chicago royalty." -Blues Blast Magazine
“I-94 Blues is a superlative effort by an emerging force on the blues scene. The Cash Box Kings are living proof that the Chicago Blues are alive and doing just fine, thank you.” -Graham Clarke, Blues Bytes
16
August
2011