Table of Contents
Updated: December 2025 – added new links and cleaned up the post.
The High Cost of Low Living by the Nick Moss Band. was the soundtrack for the run. The album has been in my rotation for a couple of weeks now and I really like the album.
One of the reasons is that in addition to Nick’s great guitar work there is some really good blues harp on the album. After listening to the album a few times, I looked more closely at the album cover and saw that it says the Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling! And it is Dennis Gruenling who provides the amazing harmonica on the album.
It seems that Gruenling and Nick Moss have known each other for more than 20 years and have jammed together several times. But they didn’t really decide to join forces until 2016. The High Cost of Low Living is the pair’s debut on Alligator Records and is a dream come true for both artists.
About Nick and Dennis
Alligator president Bruce Iglauer says the following about the union..
Nick and Dennis are a natural fit for the label. “It’s very exciting to bring artists to Alligator who are so deeply rooted in the Chicago blues tradition, but creating fresh new songs to carry that tradition forward. Nick’s a thrilling guitar player, a gritty, honest singer, and his band is tough as nails. Dennis is a blues harmonica master and a terrific showman. This is a partnership of two world-class talents in one band. These are artists that any fan of the blues has got to love.”
While Blues Revue says….
….“Nick Moss is at the top of the blues world….ambitious and intense…He can play traditional blues with the best.” New Jersey’s Dennis Gruenling is considered among today’s best blues harmonica players. His high-energy, full-throttle playing has earned him comparisons to the late James Cotton. Living Blues says, “Dennis Gruenling is a contemporary harmonica master…impressive, genuine and fresh-sounding.”
About The High Cost of Low Living
The High Cost of Low Living consists of thirteen tracks. Of those tracks Moss wrote nine original songs while Gruenling wrote two. All of the tracks are deeply roots in the blues tradition with a touch of old school rock ‘n’ roll. Guitarist Kid Andersen and Moss produced the album. The album was recorded at Rancho de Rhythm in Elgin, Illinois.
More about the Teaneck New Jersey native Dennis Gruenling “Go Jersey!”
Through the years, Gruenling has shared the stage with many top names in the blues & roots world, such as Pinetop Perkins, Snooky Pryor, Homesick James, Nappy Brown, John Mayall, Little Sammy Davis, A.C. Reed, Mick Taylor, and Jimmy Dawkins, as well as contemporary blues masters such as Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Rick Estrin/Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Kim Wilson, Rusty Zinn, Steve Guyger, Greg Piccolo, Mark Hummel,
That is a virtual who’s who of blues harp and puts Mr Gruenling in some great company. Well, actually his great playing puts him in that company!!
The remainder of the band is none too shabby either and includes: Michael Archer on bass, Patrick Seals on drums and Taylor Streiff on piano/organ.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that the album is a joy to listen to if you like me love both guitar and harp! So Check It out!!
The Video
Here is the Nick Moss Band performing the title track “The High Cost of Low Living”
Nick Moss Band
- Get Your Back Into It (2023)
- Licky Guy (2019)
- The High Cost of Low Living (2018)
- From the Root to the Fruit (2016)
- Live and Luscious (2015)
- Time Ain’t Free (2014)
About Nick Moss
Nick Moss (born December 15, 1969, Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American Chicago blues and electric blues musician. He has released thirteen albums to date, all on his own label, Blue Bella Records label. He has played with Buddy Scott, Jimmy Dawkins, Jimmy Rogers and the Legendary Blues Band. He performed fronting his own group, Nick Moss and the Flip Tops until 2008 and then shortening the name in 2009 to Nick Moss Band.The music journalist Bill Dahl stated that Moss possesses “mastery of the classic Chicago sound.” Wikipedia
