ONE EYE OPEN:
LIVE AT ROSA'S LOUNGE, CHICAGO [DVD]

"TREMENDOUS!" – BLUES IN BRITAIN (FEB 2006)

"The CD and DVD versions complement each other nicely. … The video reveals details that are invisible otherwise. For instance, CD listeners will hear guitarist Max Valldeneu play a riveting solo on "I've Got to Sleep With One Eye Open' and enjoy a fine lead part. A look at the DVD, however, reveals that Valldeneu plays without a guitar pick, clawing at his strings with his bare fingers. He plucks so hard that he breaks a string mid-solo and forges ahead despite the handicap … Visor sings the lyrics with spunk and vigor, but Lacocque is always just as prevalent, spinning yarns of his own on his harp, often punctuating the vocals with lines interspersed with the singer's words."
– SOUTHBEND TRIBUNE (DEC 30, 2005)

"The entire band is riveting. Special guest Lurrie Bell demonstrates why many critics revere his guitar playing as Chicago's best, while Kenny Smith proves he has inherited his father's (Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith) mastery of the shuffle. … Throughout Visor is full of life, constantly smiles, and pours her very being into practically every note. … The Delmark label records authentic Chicago blues bands, so Mississippi Heat is a befitting addition to their roster. … The band is the real deal. … When the focus isn't on Visor's natural Larynx-busting vocals or Bell's captivating guitar, it is on Lacocque's incredible and magical smooth harp … Undoubtedly, Lacocque is one of the best harp players on today's scene. … (He) stands out among todays's harp wailers. He is capable of inconspicuously providing fills until it's his turn to solo. Then his harp-playing builds in intensity until it explodes."
– BLUESARTSTUDIO (www.bluesartstudio.at, MARCH 2006)

"Throughout its history, the band has played every Chicago Blues haunt, thus, the Delmark live CD, recorded at Rosa's Lounge, one of Chicago's historic Blues clubs, captures exactly what this band is all about. And, when you add Lurrie Bell, one of the most overlooked Blues guitarists in that city to the record and DVD, this is a must. … When he is on, (Lurrie Bell) is the premier guitarist in the Windy City. And he's been on these past few years. Bell's playing is both sparse and dense, an arrow shot to the emotional core. Stripped of the modern veneer, his guitar work is a stark reminder of what real deep Blues can be. That rawness added to Lacocque's Blues harmonica makes this record some of the best Windy City Blues on the market."
– BLUES WAX (MARCH 2006)

"Throughout, the music is first rate and this … can do nothing but good for the band, Lurrie Bell, Rosa's and the Chicago blues scene at large."
– BLUES & RHYTHM (MARCH 2006)