I first heard The Dirty Aces when reviewing a 5 track CD which was released in 2007 by this young Jersey based band. I tagged it as a promising debut with much more to come as they matured. Now things have moved on with Giles Robson’s name being place out front and the recruitment of a new rhythm section with the experienced pair of Ian Jennings on bass and Mike Hellier on drums. They have been getting some airplay and some serious attention on the British Blues scene with their harmonica and guitar driven R&B and this new album has already had airplay from the likes of Paul Jones, Chris Evans and Tom Robinson. The material is all original and opening track “The Mighty Incinerator” is a fast shuffle with great guitar from Filip Kozlowski and tasy harp from Robson. The feel is a bit like a more controlled Dr. Feelgood with Robson’s vocals being tough but not yeet as worn or gritty as Lee Brilleaux. Terrific harp features on “Twenty Gallons of Muddy Water” and the quality of this band’s play9ing and feel for the Blues is evident from the start. “Some Kinda King” is a steady paced, stripped down offering with Robson on acoustic harp. The mood changes completely for “Devil Led Evil” a jaunty gypsy jazz type piece which swings along featuring good interplay between Robson’s chromatic harp and Kozlowski’s Reinhardt inspired guitar work. A howling train whistle blast of harp introduces “Stick to the Promise” which is a thick, sleazy, swaggering stew of Louisiana swamp Blues. Title track “Crooked Heart of Mine” is a laid back stripped down, sly acoustic, back porch number before the whole band crash in with the rocky funk of “Swindler For You”. Solidor” is a melodic and tasteful instrumental which allows Robson to show off his tasty jazz harp licks. “Cooling Board” is a tough, thumping rocker with scorching harp from Robson over great slide guitar from Kozlowski. A swinging Slim Harpo inspired riff introduces “Magic Tricks” before the short, sweet and gentle instrumental “Home Town”. The album closes with the heavy rocking “Ain’t Dead Yet” with a fine chiming guitar solo from Kozlowski and typically tough harp from Robson. This is a superb album worthy of the attention it has already received but I still feel there is more to come from this excellent band.  Dave Drury - Blues Matters magazine

* * * * *

If you like blues that's harmonica-and-guitar-led then this album will absolutely be for you, as Robson is perhaps one of the finest exponents of the harp I've ever heard. This is UK blues with an older sound and very true to the original music - even having a double bass to give it added flavour. Very original, of high-quality and quite a refreshing change; with the harmonica being the main instrument used throughout - well, it is Robson's band after all! RW in Rock Society Magazine

* * * * *

A bleeding racket in the wrong hands, it's refreshing to hear the harmonica clamped between young, taut, British lips that know how to blow, and even better when those lips are wired to a musical brain that thinks outside the blues-box.

Some might say Giles Robson is a lucky bastard in a leather jacket - opening track "The Mighty Incinerator" received an adrenalin-shot airing on two national radio shows last year - but he deserves the platform, both for his stellar harp work and original co-writes. There's enough here to placate the old farts on wheezes like "Stick to the Promise" but loose reference points keep this record on its toes, with a funk swagger in the heels of "Swindler for You" and a whiff of Canvey Island on the aforementioned "Incinerator".

We hate to think of ourselves as endorsing the opinion of Chris Evans, but this is superior stuff and, you suspect, the start of big things. It would take a truly crooked heart not to fall for this. Classic Rock Magazine – August

* * * * *

I have been listening to this CD in my car for a week now. I have a feeling it is not gonna be coming out of the deck for a while. The Aces are high in my ride at the moment. The four guys that make up this big sounding blues band are Giles Robson, harmonica and vocals, Ian Jennings, on upright bass, Filip Kozlowski, guitar, and Mike Hellier, on drums. The album Crooked Heart Of Mine, which was recorded in Poland, is a fine piece of work indeed!

Giles ain’t just a harp player and vocalist with a bunch of session guys. You get a sense that the whole band has had an input in the recording and production of this album. Giles plays the harmonica wonderfully and has developed a unique style, effortlessly blending real blues feel and tone with precise technical ability, playing big bluesy harp riffs and then using overblows to achieve flowing playing anywhere on the instrument. There are not many harp players out there that can carry that off but Giles can, that’s for sure!

There is more than just a feel of Charlie Musselwhite on this album, lyrically, vocally and some of the production values do remind me of Charlie’s more recent albums, but, hey, that ain’t no bad thing at all.

So, on to the juicy bit, the music, and with 13 original tracks on this album every number stands out in its own right. It kicks off with “The Mighty Incinerator”, a good opener, which introduces the band well; a bouncy little number with a great hook and proper double bass played by Ian Jennings. Robson shows what he can do, with a powerful electric tone and big riffs. Mike ‘movinmusic’ Hellier on the drums and Ian Jennings lock in well with a kinda loose groove that chugs along like the train they are talking about. Then Polish guitar player, Filip Kozlowski, blends everything together with versatile rhythm and lead work. “Twenty Gallons of Muddy Water” would have been more effective if it had been later on the disc. It is a cracking, upbeat number, that’s for sure, with a harder sound and Filip getting into a more Robben Ford style on this one and starting to stretch, but there is a similar hook and structure musically to the previous track. After hearing the varied sounds that are coming up later on, is a bit of a shame. Next up is “Keep On Diggin’” and things start to get real interesting. There is a good feel on this one, with Giles mixing the old school and new styles of harp playing together, then add to that Hellier diggin’ in with Jennings on a rock-a-billy style shuffle that the Stray Cats would have been proud of!

Then comes “Some Kinda King”; here we are going with stripped back acoustic harp and guitars and what a good call too, a chance to hear that great harp tone ain’t all about expensive mics and amps. It is about having a good acoustic tone first and Giles proves he has got that in bucket fulls with this track. “Devil Led Evil”, I just can’t help but sing along to this very catchy song with its almost jump jive feel and Robson now switching to the chromatic harmonica and gorgeous rhythm guitar from Filip Kozlowski. I bet you can’t listen to this song without singing, ‘Devil oh devil when you gonna treat us right!’

Fat sounding guitar, big rolling drums, cool first position harp are next on “Stick To The Promise”. Then in contrast we get a smooth acoustic slow blues with the title track “Crooked Heart Of Mine”.

“Swindler For You” is a straight funky 12 bar, sometimes this kinda song is just there to make up the numbers but Giles’s imaginative harp playing keeps you interested all the way through to the end.

Now the first of two very different sounding instrumentals is “Solidor”. It maybe be a surprising track to put on what is basically a rocking blues album but this piece of music will grow on you very quickly. It sounds like it could be used as a theme tune for a TV show, with Mike keeping a steady train rhythm with his brushes and Giles playing wonderful melodic harmonica.

“Coolin Board” is where Kozlowski shows us that he is also a demon on the slide guitar and it is boogie time with “Magic Tricks”, both songs are big sounding and have a real Chicago feel to them. These show why The Dirty Aces are chosen to back visiting American blues artist Mud Morganfield.

The next tune just makes me smile, the short but sweet “Hometown” is the second instrumental. Written by Filip, who puts on his folky finger-picking hat on this one, and Robson playing great acoustic harmonica, reminiscent of Rory McLeod, it has a lovely folk-blues feel.

Lastly, we have “Ain’t Dead Yet”, with Ian Jennings playing with a dirty electric bass sound that suits this Dr Feelgood-ish inspired punk blues track. The whole band gets to let of some steam with this one.

So there you have it: Giles Robson & The Dirty Aces. If you like your blues with a big fat dirty Chicago swagger or like your blues more laid back and acoustic, it is all on here and, let me tell ya, this album is gonna be visiting my CD player for a long time to come, so make sure it makes its way to yours too. I can’t wait to catch these guys live. Rating: 9 - Middle Walter  From Blues In Britain magazine

* * * * *

When great blues harmonica players Paul Jones and Sugar Blue describe Giles Robson as one of the great contemporary harpists, you know he’s bound to be a bit special. Even so, it still comes as a huge surprise to hear mainstream radio DJ, Chris Evans, rave about him and play Robson’s “The Mighty Incinerator” on his Breakfast Show: prime time national radio is not UK blues music’s usual stomping ground.

However, just why Robson is attracting such attention is instantly clear from the muscular opening bars of that very same song kick starting Robson and his cracking band, The Dirty Aces’ debut album, “Crooked Heart of Mine”.

Bringing a healthy dose of their on-stage magic to the record’s impressive thirteen tracks of storming blues originals, penned in the main by Robson and lead guitarist Filip Kozlowski, this is the real deal: a tightly fashioned exposition of classic, harp-led Chicago blues recalling not only the halcyon days of the UK’s 60’s blues boom but also the thrilling dynamism of early Dr Feelgood.

Blues fans old and new will relish the superb ensemble playing of Robson, Kozlowski, Ian Jennings (bass) and Mike Hellier (drums).  Colin Hall in Rock n Reel Magazine

* * * * *

This guy is right up there with the best harmonica players.

As well as being phenomenally good on the blues harp, Giles Robson is also a terrific vocalist and with his band the Dirty Aces they play some quite wonderful blues and R&B. The band comprises Filip Kozlowski (guitar), Mike Hellier (drums) and Ian Jennings (bass). Paul Jones has championed Robson's prowess on the harmonica, but it was when he played the stonking rhythm and blues number "The Mighty Incinerator" on his blues show that things started to happen. Fellow Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans heard the track and was so impressed that he played it the very next morning on his breakfast show which pulls in over 10 million listeners.

"Devil Led Evil" is proof of Robson's superb vocal ability and that leads into a powerful harmonica intro for the tough and uncompromising "Stick to the Promise". This is my kind of music and Giles Robson & the Dirty Aces play it to perfection.  David Knowles in Maverick Magazine - Four Star Review

* * * * *

They've been creating a bit of attention in the south east, even coming to the attention of Chris Evans, a man not known for playing the blues on his early morning show. "Crooked Heart Of Mine" is a blues album full of life and vitality. If blues is your thing then well worth getting, if you're a harp fan it's pretty much essential. From the Fetea Records Magazine

* * * * *

Blabber’N’Smoke doesn’t usually review straightforward blues albums and those that are sent are generally fairly poor modern copyists replacing feeling with technique. That said the blues is a strain that runs throughout Americana whether it be the rural sounds of the pre war era or gritty roadhouse belters as delivered by the likes of The Blasters. So when this album tumbled into the nest hopes weren’t high especially after reading the ringing endorsement from Chris Evans. It was a pleasant surprise to find that Robson and his band deliver their blues with a deft touch, a degree of feeling and an insouciant sense of swing. While there are some piledriving moments such as on Stick To The Promise and Cooling Board these never tumble into 12-bar boredom. Robson and his harp lead a tremendous sounding band who are slick and tight, he sings without any mannered blueisms, at times the early Feelgoods are recalled but there are elements here also of the mighty Fall and local heroes The Primevils. Regarding his harp playing Sonny Boy Williamson the second and Kim Wilson appear to be influences and it’s tempting to say that The Dirty Aces might be the UK’s answer to The fabulous Thunderbirds. Of the songs Devil Led Evil, Magic Tricks and the opening The Mighty Incinerator are standouts. Sad to say Blabber’n’Smoke has to agree with Mr. Evans.  From the Blabber'N'Smoke Website

** Click here for Booking Information **