''Come One, Come All'' is the second album by the American band Mighty Blue Kings, released in 1997. The album peaked at No. 10 on ''Billboards Top Blues Albums chart. The band supported the album by touring with

the Reverend Horton Heat The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. A ''Prick'' magazine reviewer called Heath ...

and Face to Face.

Production

The album was produced by the band. It includes covers of songs by

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

Joe Liggins Joseph Christopher Liggins, Jr. (born Theodro Elliott; July 9, 1916 – July 26, 1987) was an American R&B, jazz and blues pianist and vocalist who led Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers in the 1940s and 1950s. His band appeared often on the ''B ...

, and

Percy Mayfield Percy Mayfield (August 12, 1920August 11, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues singer with a smooth vocal style. He also was a songwriter, known for the songs " Please Send Me Someone to Love" and "Hit the Road Jack", the latter being a song ...

, among others. Six of the 12 tracks are originals by the band. Mighty Blue Kings dropped two members prior to the recording sessions for the album.

Critical reception

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' wrote that "the blues ballads suffer by comparison—seasoning counts for something, after all—but even the album's weakest tracks attest to the band's obvious devotion and good taste." ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' noted that the album "sticks to a relatively rigid Chicago-blues template." The ''

Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

'' deemed the album more polished than the debut, and concluded that "rockabilly is as revered as rabble-rousing swing, but barrel-throated vocalist Ross Bon finely fuses the two with a little crooning here, a lot of hollering there." The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' thought that "lead vocalist Ross Bon has developed into a self-assured recording artist, his warm baritone, sleek phrasing and distinctive lyric reading giving the band—and this recording—its focus and identity." ''

The Indianapolis Star ''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, when the ''Indianap ...

'' determined that ''Come One, Come All'' "swings and sways and rocks with a sound that's both true to its World War II-era roots and the need to be contemporary." ''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...

'' praised the "original vision of jazzy, dance-oriented rhythm and blues and jump."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that the album "still sounds a little stiff compared to classic jump blues, but it's still an entertaining record."

Track listing

References

{{reflist Ross Bon & The Mighty Blue Kings albums 1997 albums