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The Name Droppers are a tightly knit quartet of veteran New England musicians who have traveled a long and winding musical road in shaping their multiple talents into a high-octane blend of blues, R&B, soul, and good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. The group came together in the 1980s as Charlie Karp and the Name Droppers, with the Connecticut- based Karp being a seasoned guitarist, a prolific songwriter, and an Emmy-winning producer. After Karp’s death in 2019, the remaining Name Droppers stuck together: songwriter/guitarist Rafe Klein, Ron Rifkin on piano, Bobby “T” Torello on drums and Scott Spray on bass.
Torello and Spray added to their impressive resumes by working with the likes of Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Michael Bolton, Grace Slick, Felix Cavalier and the Rascals — and many more. Now they've poured all that talent and experience into their sixth album, Let's Live Together, an energetic session driven by smartly crafted original songs and creative covers, following last year's highly regarded Cool Blue Shoes. Everything kicks off with Klein's whimsical “Grey Haired Blues” boasting that living together longer may just help turn shades of grey into still-fiery blues: “Yeah It’s true my roof is covered in snow / Don’t be fooled, there’s a fire below.” “Let's Live Together” fires up next, the album's thematic centerpiece.
It's a chunky, rhythmic anthem written by Klein, whose soulful vocals partner magically with Crispin Cioe's soaring sax and gospel-infused background vocals by Simone Brown. Klein's vocals pour out its eloquent message: “Lately we've seen a lot of sadness in the news / Each Monday morning we wake up with the blues / Have to find a way where we can do better … let's live together.” Rifkin takes over the vocals on the driving blues of “Heartbreak City”, a town without pity for lost love: “Don’t know what you’re looking for / Don’t look back, cause it ain’t here no more.” Then Brown brings her seriously soulful chops out of the background for a smoking live recording of Aretha Franklin's classic “Chain Of Fools.” Klein returns with his thoughtful take on Bob Dylan's epic Gotta Serve Somebody, propelled by Rifkin's churning B3 and Brown's sanctified background vocals.
Klein next offers a plaintive reading of Frank Durazzo's “Don't Cry Over Me,” a look at breaking up from both sides now: “You see the picture from a different view than me / I see the picture the way my love has to be.” Klein also revisits two tracks from the band's Charlie Karp years: The salaciously sexy “Talk Dirty,” and “Love Lightnin'”, by Karp, Klein and Bruce Carter, longing for love to strike twice in the same place: “Even lightning love runs thin when the money runs out / They say it don’t strike twice, but I wish it happens to me.” Torello's percussive drumming and gritty vocals drive the blues rock of his threadbare “Watch Pocket,” with stinging slide guitar from Jay Willie, as time slips away on his love: “Baby since you’ve been gone / There’s a hole in my watch pocket / Time keeps on slipping away ... I’ll get you back some way”
The Name Droppers wrap it all up by dropping a pair of big blues names with a tough take on the Muddy Waters-Bo Diddley classic, “Mannish Boy,” adding crisp down-home harp from Richard Hunter. The Name Droppers bring a musical drive and vitality to the tracks of Let's Live Together that make it so much easier for the rest of us to live together in the blues Jim White
BIOGRAPHY
Bobby “T” Torello has an extensive career, most notably as the former drummer for Johnny Winter. Bobby toured with Michael Bolton, Grace Slick, and Black Oak Arkansas. He was inducted into the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame, and into the New England Music Hall of Fame. He also serves as an ambassador for WFIII drums.
Rafe Klein is a songwriter, and no stranger to the music scene, as he played alongside blues legend Charlie Karp for many years and co-wrote many songs that appeared on Charlie Karp’s last album “Back to You” (Courtesy of Red Parlor Records) and "Love" (Carole Sylvan's) and all 5 Name Droppers albums.
Scott Spray was Johnny Winter's longest running bass player and also played with Edgar Winter.
He was inducted into the New England Music Hall Of Fame. Scott has an extensive career, having played with some of the biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll. His credits span decades, and his bass work on Johnny Winter’s final album “Step Back” earned him a Grammy for Best Blues Album in 2015.
Ron Rifkin is a keyboard powerhouse who has played on numerous sessions and played alongside Charlie Karp live and in the studio for many years. His unique style of playing, and diverse singing voice puts him in high demand as a CT session player, with extensive credits under his belt.
Simone Brown is the background singer on The Name Dropper's albums "Starshine" (2024) and "Cool Blue Shoes" (2025) She developed her musical gifts at her local church and is a member of the CT based gospel choir, "Kevin Monroe & Devotion."
WEBLINKS
For more information: etsie Brown, Blind Raccoon, betsie@blindraccoon.com
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