The Hollywood Blue Flames

Formed on the West Coast in 1975 as the Hollywood Fats Band, this refined modern blues outfit assembled around guitar phenom Michael “Hollywood Fats” Mann, with Larry Taylor handling bass and drums, Richard Innes covering piano and Hammond B-3, Fred Kaplan alternating between piano and guitar, and harmonica whiz Al Blake completing the lineup. The musicians focused on a knowledgeable reinterpretation of the classic electric blues ensembles from the 1950s, sustaining core traditions while advancing the style. Mann’s passing in 1986 ended the group’s initial run, yet the surviving members reconvened in 2005 as the Hollywood Blue Flames, adding guitarist Kirk Fletcher to the roster and resuming the creation of robust blues in the established manner. Their first recording under the new name, Soul Sanctuary, surfaced in 2005 on Delta Groove, with Road to Rio following in 2006 and Deep in America arriving in 2010.