Back in the early nineties, Philipp Fankhauser was singer/guitarist/leader of the very accomplished Swiss outfit the Checkerboard Blues Band. Then he went to America from 1994 to 2000, spending a lot of time with the late Johnny Copeland and recording under the auspices of the renowned Dennis Walker. Now he is back in Thun, Switzerland leading the Philipp Fankhauser Blues Band on the aptly titled CD Live - So Damn' Cool (FunkHouseBlues FHB 92105). An assured, unpretentious straight blues set, Philipp has the support of drummer Tosho Yakkatokuo and no less than bassist Richard Cousins, Bob Cray's former right hand man. The mostly borrowed material (but the kind of songs that do not get covered very often) makes a good showcase for Philipp's cool vocals and controlled semi-acoustic playing, and the rhythm section is obviously spot-on. A classy release indeed, and now that Britain is finally opening up to the Continental blues scene, someone should try getting this outfit overe here. Rating: 8

Norman Darwen, Blues in Britain

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