SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK & BNOIS KING
''FAT MAN'S SHINE PARLOR''
FEBRUARY 3 2015
47:34
1 Got My Heart Broken 03:29
2 Cornbread 03:09
3 Diamond Eyes 03:46
4 Crash And Burn 03:33
5 River Of Whiskey 03:41
6 Don't Want To Be Alone 03:28
7 Brown Bomba Mojo 04:47
8 How Much 04:23
9 One Girl By My Side 03:38
10 Lone Star Lap Dance 03:43
11 Done Got Caught Blues 05:13
12 Headed For Ruin 04:37
REVIEW
By Richard Ludmerer
This band is one of few that are built around a two guitar attack; however Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King may be opposites in their individual approaches to the guitar. Kubek played rhythm guitar in Freddie King’s band until his death, while Bnois King has a jazzier guitar style. They played together for the first time in 1989.
Kubek and King released their debut recording “Steppin’ Out Texas Style” in 1991 on the Bullseye Blues Records label. Originally called The Smokin Joe Kubek Band featuring Bnois King, between 1992 and 2000, they released eight albums and all but one on Bullseye.
In 2003 the duo signed with Blind Pig Records and released “Roadhouse Research”. They recorded two more albums for Blind Pig before signing with Alligator Records in 2008. 2010 saw them release their second Alligator recording “Have Blues Will Travel”. In 2012 they migrated to Delta Groove Records where they released two more recordings their last being 2013’s “Road Dog’s Life”. This newest album, their seventeenth overall, marks their return to Blind Pig.
The band currently consists of Smokin’ Joe Kubek, guitar; Bnois King, lead vocals and guitar; Shiela Klinefelter, bass, and Eric Smith, drums. Guitarist Kim LaFleur guests on three tracks.
Their two guitar attack is best demonstrated on two of my favorites “Crash and Burn” and “Headed for Ruin”. All of the songs were written by Kubek and King except for “Brown Bomba Mojo” which was co-written by them with the late Steve Hecht of Piedmont Talent; and it features nice guitar solos from both of them. Guitarist Kubek is again featured on “One Girl by My Side” and both of them on the instrumental “Lone Star Lap Dance”.
King’s soulful vocals are featured throughout the recording but I find him especially nice on “Diamond Eyes”, “I Don’t Want to Be Alone”, “How Much”, and the lowdown “Done Got Caught Blues”. “River of Whiskey” is a song about recovering from a bout with alcohol.
The album is produced by Kubek. He and King have been together for twenty-six years. This is another great album from this dynamic duo.
BIOGRAPHY (SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK)
by Bill Dahl/AMG
Another Texas axeman from the old school, Smokin' Joe Kubek issued his band's debut disc in 1991 on Bullseye Blues, Steppin' Out Texas Style. Kubek was already playing his smokin' guitar on the Lone Star State chitlin circuit at age 14, supporting such musicians as Freddie King. Soon, he formed his own band and began playing a number of bars across Dallas. In the '80s, he met guitarist/vocalist Bnois King, a native of Monroe, Louisiana, and the duo formed the first edition of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band. the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band began playing the rest of the Southwest in the late '80s. In 1991, they signed to Bullseye Blues, releasing their debut, Steppin' Out Texas Style, the same year. Following its release, the band launched its first national tour. For the rest of the '90s, the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band toured the United States frequently and issued records like 1993's Texas Cadillac, 1996's Got My Mind Back, and 2000's Bite Me. In 2003 Kubek and guitarist/vocalist Bnois King released Roadhouse Research on the Blind Pig label. The duo's second release for Blind Pig, Show Me the Money, came out in 2004. A single-disc collection of some of the best tracks from the Bullseye Blues years, Served Up Texas Style, came out in 2005. A third album from Blind Pig Records, My Heart's in Texas, was released in 2006. Another joint effort with King, Blood Brothers, appeared in 2008. Kubek and King followed it with Have Blues Will Travel in 2010, Close to the Bone: Unplugged, and Let the Right Hand Go…, both in 2012, and Road Dog's Life in 2013.
BIOGRAPHY (BNOIS KING)
By AMG
Born 21 January 1943, Delhi, Louisiana, USA. Playing guitar from around the age of eight, King heard gospel music in church but leaned towards jazz having enjoyed the music played on local radio stations. At high school he benefited from playing in a big band, although, as he disarmingly commented to Internet interviewer Don O., he hardly played his instrument, he just stood there and held it because at that time, guitars were in. Hoping to develop a career in music he moved to Houston, Texas, then Amarillo, Wichita Falls, gradually building technical ability and confidence. In the early 70s he abandoned music for a while but took up playing again in mid-decade. By 1979 he was performing regularly in Dallas and Fort Worth, continuing into the early 80s.
Around this time King encountered electric guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek but they did not get together until some time later. When they did, the two musicians found instant rapport, even though stylistically they were quite different: Kubek, rock-influenced and aggressive; King, jazz-influenced and relaxed. By the end of the 80s they were teamed up on a regular basis and touring extensively, if to little financial reward. Along the way, King began singing occasional songs during the duo’s gigs and found strongly approving audience response. Building his vocal repertoire from neglected blues songs, the following for their unusual blending of subtle jazz-inflected playing and attacking no-holds-barred power continued to grow. Their tours continued and their albums expanded their audience still further afield. By the early 00s, King and Kubek were hugely popular and showing no loss of enthusiasm for their peripatetic lifestyle and always intriguing approach to the blues.
WEBSITE
''FAT MAN'S SHINE PARLOR''
FEBRUARY 3 2015
47:34
1 Got My Heart Broken 03:29
2 Cornbread 03:09
3 Diamond Eyes 03:46
4 Crash And Burn 03:33
5 River Of Whiskey 03:41
6 Don't Want To Be Alone 03:28
7 Brown Bomba Mojo 04:47
8 How Much 04:23
9 One Girl By My Side 03:38
10 Lone Star Lap Dance 03:43
11 Done Got Caught Blues 05:13
12 Headed For Ruin 04:37
REVIEW
By Richard Ludmerer
This band is one of few that are built around a two guitar attack; however Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King may be opposites in their individual approaches to the guitar. Kubek played rhythm guitar in Freddie King’s band until his death, while Bnois King has a jazzier guitar style. They played together for the first time in 1989.
Kubek and King released their debut recording “Steppin’ Out Texas Style” in 1991 on the Bullseye Blues Records label. Originally called The Smokin Joe Kubek Band featuring Bnois King, between 1992 and 2000, they released eight albums and all but one on Bullseye.
In 2003 the duo signed with Blind Pig Records and released “Roadhouse Research”. They recorded two more albums for Blind Pig before signing with Alligator Records in 2008. 2010 saw them release their second Alligator recording “Have Blues Will Travel”. In 2012 they migrated to Delta Groove Records where they released two more recordings their last being 2013’s “Road Dog’s Life”. This newest album, their seventeenth overall, marks their return to Blind Pig.
The band currently consists of Smokin’ Joe Kubek, guitar; Bnois King, lead vocals and guitar; Shiela Klinefelter, bass, and Eric Smith, drums. Guitarist Kim LaFleur guests on three tracks.
Their two guitar attack is best demonstrated on two of my favorites “Crash and Burn” and “Headed for Ruin”. All of the songs were written by Kubek and King except for “Brown Bomba Mojo” which was co-written by them with the late Steve Hecht of Piedmont Talent; and it features nice guitar solos from both of them. Guitarist Kubek is again featured on “One Girl by My Side” and both of them on the instrumental “Lone Star Lap Dance”.
King’s soulful vocals are featured throughout the recording but I find him especially nice on “Diamond Eyes”, “I Don’t Want to Be Alone”, “How Much”, and the lowdown “Done Got Caught Blues”. “River of Whiskey” is a song about recovering from a bout with alcohol.
The album is produced by Kubek. He and King have been together for twenty-six years. This is another great album from this dynamic duo.
BIOGRAPHY (SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK)
by Bill Dahl/AMG
Another Texas axeman from the old school, Smokin' Joe Kubek issued his band's debut disc in 1991 on Bullseye Blues, Steppin' Out Texas Style. Kubek was already playing his smokin' guitar on the Lone Star State chitlin circuit at age 14, supporting such musicians as Freddie King. Soon, he formed his own band and began playing a number of bars across Dallas. In the '80s, he met guitarist/vocalist Bnois King, a native of Monroe, Louisiana, and the duo formed the first edition of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band. the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band began playing the rest of the Southwest in the late '80s. In 1991, they signed to Bullseye Blues, releasing their debut, Steppin' Out Texas Style, the same year. Following its release, the band launched its first national tour. For the rest of the '90s, the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band toured the United States frequently and issued records like 1993's Texas Cadillac, 1996's Got My Mind Back, and 2000's Bite Me. In 2003 Kubek and guitarist/vocalist Bnois King released Roadhouse Research on the Blind Pig label. The duo's second release for Blind Pig, Show Me the Money, came out in 2004. A single-disc collection of some of the best tracks from the Bullseye Blues years, Served Up Texas Style, came out in 2005. A third album from Blind Pig Records, My Heart's in Texas, was released in 2006. Another joint effort with King, Blood Brothers, appeared in 2008. Kubek and King followed it with Have Blues Will Travel in 2010, Close to the Bone: Unplugged, and Let the Right Hand Go…, both in 2012, and Road Dog's Life in 2013.
BIOGRAPHY (BNOIS KING)
By AMG
Born 21 January 1943, Delhi, Louisiana, USA. Playing guitar from around the age of eight, King heard gospel music in church but leaned towards jazz having enjoyed the music played on local radio stations. At high school he benefited from playing in a big band, although, as he disarmingly commented to Internet interviewer Don O., he hardly played his instrument, he just stood there and held it because at that time, guitars were in. Hoping to develop a career in music he moved to Houston, Texas, then Amarillo, Wichita Falls, gradually building technical ability and confidence. In the early 70s he abandoned music for a while but took up playing again in mid-decade. By 1979 he was performing regularly in Dallas and Fort Worth, continuing into the early 80s.
Around this time King encountered electric guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek but they did not get together until some time later. When they did, the two musicians found instant rapport, even though stylistically they were quite different: Kubek, rock-influenced and aggressive; King, jazz-influenced and relaxed. By the end of the 80s they were teamed up on a regular basis and touring extensively, if to little financial reward. Along the way, King began singing occasional songs during the duo’s gigs and found strongly approving audience response. Building his vocal repertoire from neglected blues songs, the following for their unusual blending of subtle jazz-inflected playing and attacking no-holds-barred power continued to grow. Their tours continued and their albums expanded their audience still further afield. By the early 00s, King and Kubek were hugely popular and showing no loss of enthusiasm for their peripatetic lifestyle and always intriguing approach to the blues.
WEBSITE
