Sometimes the Blues hits hard but it will lift you Way Up!
Caution: Ilias Scotch’s haunting blues piano will get to you! If it doesn’t, you may have a hole in your soul. Kurt Lens and Koen van Peteghem are a dream team for layin’ down genuine blues grooves. I mean the real thang!!! My 10-12 Watt Gibson eh 125 amp almost caught fire while recording these tracks. This Rhythm Revue can’t be beat!
We did have some real crazy fun waxin’ the 11 songs for this album… We threw it down like we were playin’ a gig in a juke joint and left most songs real, honest and untouched… This is how we sounded at that moment in time: Greasy and inspired!
We got a little help from our friends: harmonica ace Steven Troch, the amazing singer Naomi Sijmons, Bart Stone & honkin’ horn, my dog, Little Walter, did some barkin’ and you’ll even hear my long gone good friend, mentor and hero James Harman moanin’ and groanin’ on ‘A Sinner’s Gospel’
We also have a 45 RPM vinyl single out: “Tiny Legs, Big Soul / Way Down”
Tiny Legs, Big Soul is dedicated to Tiny Legs Tim who sadly already was elsewhere bound. I tried to capture the vibe of our crazy times together at The Missy Sippy Blues Club in Ghent. It’s definitely not a sad song, but an upliftin’ celebration hymn. I invited some friends who were close to him as well, to sing and play with us. Steven Troch spices things up with a mantra drone usin’ jaw harp, harmonica & bass harmonica. Naomi Sijmons puts the icin’ on the cake by takin’ you way beyond the moon with her interstellar soulful vocals. I used a 1930 style O National guitar to cut this track… Koen aims at your hips on this one with his rural Mississippi drums. A heart as big, as the deep blue sea, A Big Soul in Missy Sippy! I hope you dig our tribute brother TLT… in our hearts forever.
Way down is an uptempo kinda party twist groove. I used a tricone resonator guitar on this one, Steven Troch joined us on the amplified harmonica.
We were Messin’ with the Blues good! That’s how a modern blues man survives these crazy times in this crazy world. Sometimes life can get you down, but now I feel ‘Way Up!’ singin’ and playin’ guitar with these fine gentlemenzzz.
Hope to see y’all in person soon at a gig. We’re ready to roll!
Thank you!
Shakedown Tim