Boogie Bone CD review
By KT
Boogie Bone is a powerful, straight-ahead,
blow-your-hair-back boogie band.
Their recent release, Boogie Bone, is just scary enough
to make you go see them in person and find out whether it’s really
true: There is a monster in the closet and it actually does come
out at midnight. Of course, if you buy the CD, you can play it over
and over just to convince yourself and others that Boogie Bone is
a monster act.
The group features Howlin’ Jake Johnson,
vocals; guitarist Steven Dee Williams; Todd “Spud” Stevens on drumset;
Henry “Groovemaster” Gavaldon on bass; Steve “Triple Threat” Snyder,
saxophone-harmonica-keyboards.
The list of “influences” includes: Johnson:
Joe Cocker, Magic Sam; Williams: Roy Buchanan, Jimmy Page, Stevie
Ray Vaughan; Stevens: Pat Torpey, Tommy Aldridge; Gavaldon: Geddy
Lee, Steve Harris; Snyder: Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Lenny Pickett, Michael
Brecker.
If a musician wants to claim influences
such as Magic Sam, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Michael Brecker, they had
better prove it in the first 45 seconds of their first tune of the
night. Failing that would just make you look silly.
Magic Sam (Sam Maghett) applied 99 percent
style, delivery and intent, with one percent talking about people
who have done him wrong. This writer recalls hearing Magic Sam tunes
on a very early version of KISN AM Radio. Some people apparently
did call in to complain that Magett’s content was insufficient. The
DJ of the hour announced, live, that they would keep playing tunes
by Magic Sam because they just plain liked him. (Reference You
Don’t Love Me, Yes I Know.) There’s just something about it;
it’s not what you play, it’s how you play it. The Boogie
Bone CD is proof enough for this writer that not only can they actually
do it, it seems like they must love it also.
The late Stevie Ray Vaughan set a new standard
of excellence in hot-rocket blues; this writer believes that Boogie
Bone shows no shame.
The opening cut on the CD, Mama
Told Me, kicks off very much like a classic SRV number. The tune
features a fresh guitar phrase that sounds like it’s been there all
along. Since SRV is the definitive performer on the tight, back-beat
shuffle (sometimes referred to as the “lame duck shuffle”), it’s
no surprise that some of his style would appear in the sounds of
blues-rock bands. If an artist can use, apply and manipulate an existing
standard and make something new of it while retaining the recognizable
standard, that artist is said to be a Master. The traditional 10-to-12-tune
folio, with consistent performance all through, then is called a
Masterpiece. Give Boogie Bone a listen Just wait for the next one!
Michael
Brecker is one part of The Brecker Brothers, known for their too-hot-to-touch,
16-beat funk-rock
tunes, Michael Brecker is the mad scientist of the bass. Studying Brecker
is like studying Paganini or Jaco Pastorius. Either you can do it or
you can’t. There is no safety lane.
Boogie Bone, the band, can be heard
on their website www.boogieboneband.com. CDs are available now; for
more information contact booking@boogieboneband.com, Steve Williams
at 503-887-0557. The website offers a downloadable electronic press
kit in color and black-and-white.
The CD is getting a lot of airplay,
which is usually good news. Boogie Bone is an editors choice
on CD Baby for Electric Blues. Requests for promo kits are coming in
from all over the world. Saxophonist Steve Snyder was recently inducted
into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame with his former band Shock.
Dec.
8 is the big CD release party date. The Trail’s End Saloon in Oregon City isn’t hard to find, once
you know where it is. If you are unfamiliar with that area, contact
the band, the venue, or logon to Trail’s End Saloon website for driving
directions.
Boogie
Bone’s performances generate
a feeling of happiness and fun. That’s a slick trick for a “blues” band!
Pack up your mojo bones and set out to boogie… and don’t you
be bringin’ home no more “F-“ report cards. (See Bandstand and ad for
upcoming schedule.)
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