Can't Stop Now

may be nicknamed the Blues Boss, but a more apt title would be the King of Boogie-Woogie. The pianist/singer was born in Spokane, grew up in San Francisco, and honed his chops in the juke joints of Los Angeles, where he played Latin, pop, rock, and R&B. Since the '80s he's been based in Vancouver, British Columbia, where his combination of boogie-woogie, blues, old-time R&B, and New Orleans fonk have made him a major attraction. 's a playful vocalist with a warm, witty style that echoes the work of , , and . On this, his sixth album, he's in fine voice and backed by his usual cohorts , bass; , sax; , harmonica; and , drums. The album's vibe can be summed up in the title of one of the set's bounciest tracks, You can feel 's smile as he sings the tune's hook and rocks the piano with a syncopated second-line feel accented by a funky horn section. an obscure track written by , is a driving shuffle highlighted by 's light twinkling right-hand fills and 's nasty sax. is a vivid slice of barrelhouse boogie, again with a bit of Crescent City syncopation that recalls 's work with . is a late-night saloon song with delivering a smooth, seductive vocal to sing the praises of his favorite libation. The band joins in on backing vocals while guest player adds a mellow guitar solo. shows off 's strong left hand and exuberant vocals and 's fine harmonica. 's solo makes the keys on his 88 dance off the piano. gives listeners a slightly more up-to-date take on the blues. 's clavinet playing brings to mind and his spoken introduction plays a winking homage to 's son drops a lively rap midway through the track to give the kids something to groove to. There's not a weak track here, and 's engaging vocals and masterful playing will have you grinning long after the music's over. ~ j. poet