10345 - THE JUKE HOUNDS - BLUESITUDE (2014)
THE JUKE HOUNDS
''BLUESITUDE''
JANUARY 1 2014
37:00
**********
1 I Drive 04:00
2 Stand Up 03:33
3 Throwin' A Good Man Away 02:54
4 My Prayer 04:14
5 Fight 04:04
6 Roller Coaster 03:26
7 Best Love 04:14
8 Superior Woman 02:30
9 Choose To Be Young 02:25
10 Flood Waters 05:35
**********
Bob Gardner/Vocals, Guitar
Gerard Dominick/Bass Guitar
Mark Smallwood/Drums
Jimmy Kormanik/Harmonica
Doug Barber/Keyboards
Bobby Stocker/Drums on 9
Don Kaser/Horn Charts, Trombone
Norm Tischler/Sax
Michael Rubin/Trumpet
**********
REVIEW
Rhys Williams, www.bluesblastmagazine.com
Bluesitude is the second album from Ohio-based blues-rockers, The Juke Hounds, following on from 2012’s Low Man On The Totem Pole.
Originally formed in 2006, the band comprises Bob Gardner on vocals and guitars, Gerard Dominick on bass, Mark Smallwood on vocals and drums, Jimmy Kormanik on harmonica and Doug Barber on vocals and keyboards. The album also features guest appearances from the horn section of Don Kaser on trombone and horn arrangements, Norman Tischler on saxophone and Michael Rubin on trumpet. On “Choose To Be Young”, Bobby Stocker takes the drum stool.
Kicking off with “I Drive”, which features a riff reminiscent of an updated, angular, more frazzled “Smokestack Lightnin’”, Gardner sings with real venom: “Backseat drivers give me lip, I ain’t going to take their shit, because it’s my life, my way, I drive.” The attitude in both the lyrics and the aggressive attack of the musicians reflects the grit and power that is found throughout Bluesitude. But this is also a band that understands light and shade. When Kormanik steps up for his harmonica solo in “I Drive”, the band slips into a gentler, funky, backing rhythm before Kormanik, Barber and Dominick drop out entirely, leaving Smallwood’s drums and Gardner’s solo guitar. Gardner pulls out a powerfully melodic solo while the musicians re-enter gradually to help build the tension and momentum of an impressive song.
While songs such as “Throwin’ A Good Man Away”, “Best Love” “Choose To Be Young” and “Flood Waters” are solid, traditional electric blues, a wide range of other influences are discernable on Bluesitude. “My Prayer” is a gentle acoustic ballad featuring just Gardner’s guitar and Kormanik’s harp. “Stand Up” has a funked-up edge with a heavy Stax-like soul sound. “Fight” is a heavy blues-rock song. There is however a consistent muscular attitude throughout the album. Even the slower, gentler songs have an “in your face” presence.
The quality of the musicianship is uniformly excellent, with the solos being primarily shared between Gardner and Kormanik, the two even playing in stereo in “Best Love”. When he does get a chance to stretch out, for example on the organ solo in “Throwin’ A Good Man Away”, Barber shows he is no slouch either. And while the lyrics do not break any new ground, subtle surprises abound in the performances, from the key change in “Best Love” to the vocal melodies in a number of the songs that are sufficiently original and unexpected to help lodge the songs in one’s head. Gardner’s contribution to album is a particularly impressive, writing all the songs, except for “Superior Woman” and “Flood Waters”, which he co-wrote with Daryl Rowland.
Like its predecessor album, Bluesitude was produced by The Juke Hounds and Freddy DeMarco and recorded and mixed at DeMarco’s Recording Studio (part of DeMarco’s School of Music) in Hudson, Ohio. The result is a crisp, modern production that provides excellent separation between the instruments. So even on the horn-laden tracks like “Superior Woman” or “Choose To Be Young”, each instrument can be clearly distinguished.
This is a relatively short album, with 10 songs packed into little more than half an hour. But it packs a powerful punch. On the evidence of Bluesitude, The Juke Hounds must be a magnetic presence on stage. While you are waiting for them to come to a town near you, if you like your blues played with attitude and edge, with a hint or two of soul and rock, you should check out this album.
**********
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
In 2006, the Juke Hounds were drawn together by a shared attitude about the world. A Midwestern grit that made each of them relate to the blues in the first place -- and then to each other.
The Juke Hounds play the ”blues with a feeling” all right. But that feeling is not the familiar woe-is-me nobody-loves-me pose, but one of defiance and swagger that says "you can't keep me down." The music, the lyrics and even the bands aggressive stage presence, announce they are a force to be reckoned with.
Brittany Nader Of Buzzbin Magazine agrees that when the Juke Hounds start to play,
“it’s impossible not to get up and start shaking along to the rhythm.”
Mike Fuller of Water Street Tavern, echoes the observation: "There are a lot of people dancing and moving around. Not a lot of people are sitting down…. Everyone stands and treats it like a rock show, and that's pretty much how it is."
The Juke Hounds know something about defiance. When friends, family and even fellow musicians insisted that playing the blues in Ohio was a foolish waste of time, The Jukes took their advice as a personal challenge. Today, the Juke Hounds are rocking the blues to packed houses across Northeast Ohio -- not to mention all the way to Memphis.
In 2010, The Juke Hounds won the Cleveland Blues Society “Road To Memphis” competition and represented Akron, Canton, and Cleveland at the 2011 International Blues Competition in Memphis where the band showcased at the Hard Rock Café’ on Beale Street. This year (2013), The Juke Hounds won the NEOBA Blues Competition and will represent Northeast Ohio at the 2014 International Blues Competition held in Memphis TN.
Steeped in electric blues, these seasoned musicians bring their considerable musical skills to put a Midwestern spin on strong original material and traditional blues repertoire. Frontman, Bob Gardner belts out melodic vocals that soar over the groove and harpman Jimmy Kormanic riffs in the holes with a fat warm tone that would make Howlin’ Wolf smile. With the rock solid bottom by bassist Gerard Dominick, the hard-hitting spare beat laid down by drummer Mark Smallwood, and the ivories being slapped by Doug Barber, the Juke Hounds will get you on your feet, as they have in packed houses across Ohio.
The Juke Hounds hit hard, that's for sure. But their musical pugilism isn't about knocking anybody down. It's about bringing the crowd to their feet and keeping 'em there until it's time to go home -- maybe even a little later.
Their fast moving sets offer bluesy defiance -- swagger in the face of adversity -- and a pace that feels like an accelerating train moving inexorably toward deliverance from our earthly burdens.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
''BLUESITUDE''
JANUARY 1 2014
37:00
**********
1 I Drive 04:00
2 Stand Up 03:33
3 Throwin' A Good Man Away 02:54
4 My Prayer 04:14
5 Fight 04:04
6 Roller Coaster 03:26
7 Best Love 04:14
8 Superior Woman 02:30
9 Choose To Be Young 02:25
10 Flood Waters 05:35
**********
Bob Gardner/Vocals, Guitar
Gerard Dominick/Bass Guitar
Mark Smallwood/Drums
Jimmy Kormanik/Harmonica
Doug Barber/Keyboards
Bobby Stocker/Drums on 9
Don Kaser/Horn Charts, Trombone
Norm Tischler/Sax
Michael Rubin/Trumpet
**********
REVIEW
Rhys Williams, www.bluesblastmagazine.com
Bluesitude is the second album from Ohio-based blues-rockers, The Juke Hounds, following on from 2012’s Low Man On The Totem Pole.
Originally formed in 2006, the band comprises Bob Gardner on vocals and guitars, Gerard Dominick on bass, Mark Smallwood on vocals and drums, Jimmy Kormanik on harmonica and Doug Barber on vocals and keyboards. The album also features guest appearances from the horn section of Don Kaser on trombone and horn arrangements, Norman Tischler on saxophone and Michael Rubin on trumpet. On “Choose To Be Young”, Bobby Stocker takes the drum stool.
Kicking off with “I Drive”, which features a riff reminiscent of an updated, angular, more frazzled “Smokestack Lightnin’”, Gardner sings with real venom: “Backseat drivers give me lip, I ain’t going to take their shit, because it’s my life, my way, I drive.” The attitude in both the lyrics and the aggressive attack of the musicians reflects the grit and power that is found throughout Bluesitude. But this is also a band that understands light and shade. When Kormanik steps up for his harmonica solo in “I Drive”, the band slips into a gentler, funky, backing rhythm before Kormanik, Barber and Dominick drop out entirely, leaving Smallwood’s drums and Gardner’s solo guitar. Gardner pulls out a powerfully melodic solo while the musicians re-enter gradually to help build the tension and momentum of an impressive song.
While songs such as “Throwin’ A Good Man Away”, “Best Love” “Choose To Be Young” and “Flood Waters” are solid, traditional electric blues, a wide range of other influences are discernable on Bluesitude. “My Prayer” is a gentle acoustic ballad featuring just Gardner’s guitar and Kormanik’s harp. “Stand Up” has a funked-up edge with a heavy Stax-like soul sound. “Fight” is a heavy blues-rock song. There is however a consistent muscular attitude throughout the album. Even the slower, gentler songs have an “in your face” presence.
The quality of the musicianship is uniformly excellent, with the solos being primarily shared between Gardner and Kormanik, the two even playing in stereo in “Best Love”. When he does get a chance to stretch out, for example on the organ solo in “Throwin’ A Good Man Away”, Barber shows he is no slouch either. And while the lyrics do not break any new ground, subtle surprises abound in the performances, from the key change in “Best Love” to the vocal melodies in a number of the songs that are sufficiently original and unexpected to help lodge the songs in one’s head. Gardner’s contribution to album is a particularly impressive, writing all the songs, except for “Superior Woman” and “Flood Waters”, which he co-wrote with Daryl Rowland.
Like its predecessor album, Bluesitude was produced by The Juke Hounds and Freddy DeMarco and recorded and mixed at DeMarco’s Recording Studio (part of DeMarco’s School of Music) in Hudson, Ohio. The result is a crisp, modern production that provides excellent separation between the instruments. So even on the horn-laden tracks like “Superior Woman” or “Choose To Be Young”, each instrument can be clearly distinguished.
This is a relatively short album, with 10 songs packed into little more than half an hour. But it packs a powerful punch. On the evidence of Bluesitude, The Juke Hounds must be a magnetic presence on stage. While you are waiting for them to come to a town near you, if you like your blues played with attitude and edge, with a hint or two of soul and rock, you should check out this album.
**********
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
In 2006, the Juke Hounds were drawn together by a shared attitude about the world. A Midwestern grit that made each of them relate to the blues in the first place -- and then to each other.
The Juke Hounds play the ”blues with a feeling” all right. But that feeling is not the familiar woe-is-me nobody-loves-me pose, but one of defiance and swagger that says "you can't keep me down." The music, the lyrics and even the bands aggressive stage presence, announce they are a force to be reckoned with.
Brittany Nader Of Buzzbin Magazine agrees that when the Juke Hounds start to play,
“it’s impossible not to get up and start shaking along to the rhythm.”
Mike Fuller of Water Street Tavern, echoes the observation: "There are a lot of people dancing and moving around. Not a lot of people are sitting down…. Everyone stands and treats it like a rock show, and that's pretty much how it is."
The Juke Hounds know something about defiance. When friends, family and even fellow musicians insisted that playing the blues in Ohio was a foolish waste of time, The Jukes took their advice as a personal challenge. Today, the Juke Hounds are rocking the blues to packed houses across Northeast Ohio -- not to mention all the way to Memphis.
In 2010, The Juke Hounds won the Cleveland Blues Society “Road To Memphis” competition and represented Akron, Canton, and Cleveland at the 2011 International Blues Competition in Memphis where the band showcased at the Hard Rock Café’ on Beale Street. This year (2013), The Juke Hounds won the NEOBA Blues Competition and will represent Northeast Ohio at the 2014 International Blues Competition held in Memphis TN.
Steeped in electric blues, these seasoned musicians bring their considerable musical skills to put a Midwestern spin on strong original material and traditional blues repertoire. Frontman, Bob Gardner belts out melodic vocals that soar over the groove and harpman Jimmy Kormanic riffs in the holes with a fat warm tone that would make Howlin’ Wolf smile. With the rock solid bottom by bassist Gerard Dominick, the hard-hitting spare beat laid down by drummer Mark Smallwood, and the ivories being slapped by Doug Barber, the Juke Hounds will get you on your feet, as they have in packed houses across Ohio.
The Juke Hounds hit hard, that's for sure. But their musical pugilism isn't about knocking anybody down. It's about bringing the crowd to their feet and keeping 'em there until it's time to go home -- maybe even a little later.
Their fast moving sets offer bluesy defiance -- swagger in the face of adversity -- and a pace that feels like an accelerating train moving inexorably toward deliverance from our earthly burdens.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
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