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Nick Moss Band – The High Cost of Low Living

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The High Cost of Lowliving Nick Moss Band

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”

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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

 

Molasses Creek Music from “An Island Out of Time”

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Molasses Creek

Originally Posted July 2012 Reposted and Updated Nov 2025

The other band that I’ve been listening to over the last few days is Molasses Creek and their new album An Island Out of Time.  The island in question is Ocracoke Island, NC. which according to their website is:

Only accessible by ferry, Ocracoke is an enchanting step out of modern times into a world of captivating natural beauty, rich maritime history, ghostly shipwrecks, heroic lifesavers, crafty pirates, and a community of 900 independently minded residents.

 An Island Out of Time is  the twelfth albums they’ve recorded over the past 19 years. In April of 2012, An Island Out of Time  reached the #4 spot on the National Folk Radio DJ Charts! (It is now at number 61, which is where  I spotted it)

About Molasses Creek

Molasses Creek’s is a collaboration of some great musicians including:  Gary Mitchell (guitar/vocals), Fiddler Dave Tweedie (fiddle/vocals), Lou Castro (dobro/bass/vocals), Marcy Brenner (mandolin/banjolin/bass/vocals), and Gerald Hampton (mandolin/upright bass). Their musicianship is for me the highlight of the album and their vocals and harmonies are not far behind!  

What others say about the band:

 The band’s combination of harmony, humor, and love for the island they call home gives their work a distinct sound and vision.
~ Sing Out Magazine

Molasses Creek seamlessly blends traditional sounds with a contemporary vibe. They are extraordinary musicians with an uncanny blend.
~ Sandy Oxx, Executive Director of the Carroll Country Arts Council

My Thoughts

So if you haven’t heard them check them out, as for me as always I have their back catalog to check out!!

Well, you know I love the fiddle player in most bands and Dave Tweedie joins my ever growing list of favorites, so here is a video that features Dave and some great fiddling! (oh, and I always enjoy the instrumentals on most albums)

Post Update

Usually this point in a post there is a video or playlist. But tonight I want to add some extra thoughts. Since I’ve written this post I have listen to less and less folk and bluegrass music. Actually, when I first started this post I didn’t really remember Molasses Creek. But once I saw the album cover memories of the band came floating back. Finally, when I listened to the album I said “Yes” I remember the band now! Great vocals and songs and even better instrumentals. You yes I still thinks Dave’s fiddle playing is outstanding!

So here instead of a short playlist of the tracks on An Island Out of Time here’s the whole album!

An Island Out of Time

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Discography

  • Catch the Wind — 2019
  • People Get Ready — 2016
  • Waterbound — 2015
  • Something Worth Having — 2014
  • Follow the Heron Home — 2009
  • Strangest Dream — 2006
  • Deepwater — 2003
  • Citybound — 1998
  • A Very Silly Travel Companion — 2002
  • Wildheart — 1996
  • Ocracoke Island II (The Sequel) — 1994
  • Ocracoke Island — 1993

Molasses Creek in 2025
Molasses Creek may not be releasing new studio albums these days, but the band remains very much alive on Ocracoke Island. They continue to perform locally, appear at community events, and keep their connection with fans through annual concerts, special gatherings, and their long-running involvement with Ocracoke’s arts scene. Even without new recordings, their mix of harmony singing, island storytelling, and tight instrumental work still makes them one of the most beloved voices of Outer Banks folk music.

My Last Words

Molasses Creek’s music is like a fine wine — it can be savored long after it was first poured. And as for me, I fully intend to keep enjoying every drop.

Alex Kava – Hidden Creed – Ryder Creed #6

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Hidden Creed - Alex Kava Ryder Creed #6

Hidden Creed – Ryder Creed #6 – Alex Kava

I’m not a dog person — we’ve always had cats.
But Alex Kava through her Ryder Creed series has convinced me just how many incredible things dogs can do that cats can’t (or simply won’t). Hidden Creed was book #41 for me this year, and it might just be the best yet in the series.

My History with Alex Kava

I’ve been reading Alex Kava since 2005, when I first picked up A Perfect Evil, the debut Maggie O’Dell novel.
The only Maggie O’Dell book I haven’t read is Stranded (#11) — and yes, I’ve checked it out from the library more than once, even started it, but always got sidetracked by another book. That’s worth noting because Stranded is the story where Ryder Creed and Maggie first meet — and that case is mentioned here in Hidden Creed.

Why the Ryder Creed Series Stands Out

For me, the heart of this series is the characters — both human and canine.
Ryder Creed and Maggie O’Dell are two of my favorite fictional characters, and Kava has surrounded them with a strong supporting cast:

  • Brodie – Ryder’s sister
  • Hannah – his business partner
  • Jason – an ex-soldier and valued employee
  • And, of course, the dogs — my personal favorite being Grace, the fearless Jack Russell Terrier.

As Tracie Hotchner of the Radio Pet Lady Network™ put it:

“It’s impossible not to care about and root for the human and canine heroes in Kava’s series.”
I couldn’t agree more.

The Story

During a K-9 training session in Florida’s Blackwater River State Forest, Ryder and Brodie follow Grace’s lead straight to a shallow grave. Soon, more bodies are discovered — and it becomes clear this is the isolated dumping ground of a serial killer.

Meanwhile, Maggie O’Dell is in Pensacola investigating a storage locker purchased at auction. Inside? An array of body parts and containers — possibly the twisted cache of a killer.

Kava weaves four distinct storylines together, creating a tense, fast-moving thriller where the suspense doesn’t let up until the very last page.

The Bottom Line

If you love page-turning thrillers with memorable characters, Hidden Creed is a must-read. While it works as a standalone, I recommend starting with Desperate Creed (#5) to get the most out of the relationships and backstory — especially between Ryder and Brodie.

And if you want to fully understand Maggie O’Dell, go back and read some of her solo cases. She’s had some fantastic adventures of her own!

Author’sWebsite |
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Amazon

Alex Kava is the New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of twenty-three novels that include the critically acclaimed series featuring K9 handler Ryder Creed and the international bestselling series with FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell.

She’s been awarded two Nebraska Book Awards, a Florida Book Award and the Mari Sandoz Award.

Published in thirty-five countries, her novels have sold seven+ million copies and have appeared on bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Poland, Italy and Japan. Full Bio