Don’t Slow Down-Stratcat Willie & The Strays
- johnaalex
- Aug 7, 2025
- 4 min read
Don’t Slow Down-Stratcat Willie & The Strays
Released: 11th April 2025. Available from digital platforms and direct from the artist https://stratcatwillie.com/music-sales
Reviewed by Terry Mead: /07/2025
StratCat Willie has been playing the Blues for close to 60 years with some of the most talented musicians all across the country.
Whatever "Strays" he gathers, you can bet that they will be cranking out nothin' but the best in new and classic Blues!
One of the most underexposed artists in the business, this is only Willie’s fourth album ever. Blues Plate Special released one disc, Hot ‘n Tasty, in the early 2000s. And he’s produced three with the Strays since 2019, when he assembled some of his longtime playing partners to form this group – an ensemble that would be exploring other styles of blues than he’d been playing through the years.
Players on all tracks:
Stratcat Willie Hayes-Guitars & vocals
Ted Goldwyn-Bass
Dave Salce-Drums
In addition:
Sing Trace & Mabel Welch-Backup Vocals
Rich Graiko-Trumpet
Josh Cohen- Saxophones
Blu Lou Cicconi- Vocals on “I Ain’t Got Nothin’
Jeremy Hummel-Percussion on “Consuela”
Track by track Review
I Ain’t Got Nothin’- We kick off with this tune written by Blu Lou Cicconi who also provides the vocals .It’s a lively affair with a splendid guitar solo from Willie, one from Ted on bass and a drum solo from Dangerous Dave(as he is known by).
Demons Within- Some heavy intense guitar work from Willie here perpetuating about the Demons within.
Slow Down- With a driving beat reminiscent of the Rockpile era and some traits of a Wipe Out riff midway, this one will have your foot tapping to a theme of living life to the full.
Go On Home- A neat laid-back number would make a neat stroller with its high-quality guitar riffs and breaks.
No Pleasin’ You- More of a catchy tongue in cheek number with some quirky stops and an elongated guitar break towards the end.
Consuela- This is a great blues instrumental with a Latin flavour, and it hits you right in the face from the start with some superb guitar work from Willie. Jeremy Hummel plays percussion on this track.
Ain’t Gonna Change- A song about being stuck in your ways and not changing with a drifting beat and some awesome slide guitar from Willie.
I’m Down- If your down pick yourself up again as Willie will tell you through both his guitar and vocals on this track ,nice mid-tempo affair with a somewhat driving beat.
Rollin’ & Tumblin’- Powerful intro with some heavy blues guitar sounds before the resounding beat kicks in, Hambone Willie Newbern’s “Rollin’ and Tumblin’,” the only cover in the set it’s a classic Delta blues tune.
Don’t Let Him In- A kind of blues ballad that you could drift away to, Willie gives us a lovely blues guitar masterpiece that has a profound pitch to it.
Stratcat Boogie- Rounding off the album a blues bopper with attitude strutting to the beat with some hefty guitar sounds along the way. Credit to the band they rocked it out in one take.
So, lets Summarise nine original tracks from Stratcat Willie Hayes make up this album which in my mind is a great tribute to the story of the Blues, its sound well produced and entertaining. Totally recommend a listen.
Links to Social Media:
Track List:
1.I Ain’t Got Nothin’
2.Demons Within
3.Slow Down
4.Go On Home
5.No Pleasin’ You
6.Consuela
7.Ain’t Gonna Change
8.I’m Down
9.Rollin’ & Tumblin’
10.Don’t Let Him In
11.Stratcat Boogie
Bio:
StratCat Willie Hayes is an old-school bluesman who has been writing and playing for over sixty years. Some of his earliest influences included T-Bone Walker, Mike Bloomfield, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, and Duke Robillard.
In 1995, after several years of gigging in local clubs and fronting many cover bands, his affinity for and love of the blues led him to form a band that would allow him to focus exclusively on the blues. “Blues Plate Special” was a harmonica driven blues band that covered everyone from Little Charlie & the Nightcats to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, as well as writing and recording original songs. With Blues Plate Special, he worked hard to keep the blues alive in the Southern Tier of New York, recording three studio albums along with one live album.
In 2019, in an effort to explore other styles of the blues, he pulled several players together that had been with him for many of those fifty-plus years to form “StratCat Willie & the Strays”.
In 2020, armed with thirteen original tunes, he took the Strays into the studio. The result was “On The Prowl”, which debuted on SiriusXM BLUESVILLE’s “Rack of Blues” and remained on the Roots Music Report charts for six consecutive months, finishing #52 on the RMR “Top 200 Contemporary Blues Album Chart for 2021”.
Following up on that success, late in 2021 StratCat Willie brought the same players together to record “On A Hot Tin Roof”. Comprised of twelve new original tunes written entirely during the pandemic, the music not only reflects the darkness of the times, it also reflects the “Good News of the Blues” and the joy of classic swing/jump blues by tapping into the rich sound of a backing horn section and soulful background vocals. This album also enjoyed widespread popularity and earned a slot on BLUESVILLE’S “Rack of Blues”.
In the Fall of 2022, just as they were ready to dive into their next studio project, one of the Strays died unexpectedly. Following that, there were some other unexpected personnel changes, as well as the ravages of time. So, in late 2023, StratCat Willie pulled together the Strays that he was gigging with most, and recorded his third studio album, “Don’t Slow Down!”. The result is a hard driving, guitar-centric project that addresses the challenges raised by those losses and the relentless passage of time.
Over his fifty plus year career, StratCat Willie has shared the stage with many musicians across the United States. From New Orleans, where he has jammed with legends like Walter “Wolfman” Washington, to San Francisco, Memphis, Nashville, and Boston, he is always looking to meet and play with different folks. StratCat Willie not only enjoys the spontaneity of a good blues jam, he revels in the opportunity to bring new players together and “make a statement”. Continuing the influences of the old masters with his swinging, upbeat style, he always pays tribute to and recognizes those great African American men and women who gave us this amazing art form.
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