Phil Gammage
Used Man For Sale
(self-released)

Phil Gammage’s Used Man For Sale is a blues paradise of a ten-song album. It features Gammage on lead vocals, guitars, vibes, keyboards, and harmonica; Kevin Tooley playing drums; Frank DiNunzio III playing bass and singing backing vocals; Johnny Young tickling the ivories and other keyboards; and Michele Butler providing expert backing vocals. This is solid stuff indeed. Starting with the western-like strut and Gammage’s mournful harmonica, “Arms of a Kind Woman” reaches out to pull you in. DiNunzio’s fat bass opens and basically leads the dark and sly “I Beg of You.” Certainly, Gammage’s connection to Elvis is felt heavily here in the singing (Gammage freely admits The King is one of his big influences), while we get some soft “ooh’s” of backing vocals for the first time. The slippery lead fits perfectly as well. The title track is classic 50’s blues, piano flickery, brushed snare, and Gammage singing probably the best he does here. Once again, the players behind him manage quite the heady brew. A low down, slow crawl of blues informs “Before I Leave,” while the harmonica flip and flack of “Lost In Loserville” is pure Elvis upbeat fun. One can really hear Butler here and she is a peach rising above the other male backing vocals. “Staring At Your Window” ends the album, featuring organ and slide in a chunky sway. You want some good blues variety? Pick up Phil Gammage’s Used Man For Sale.