Published on Aug 27, 1998
When it comes to harmonica-based blues, I’ve never really been
that big of a fan. It’s not that I don’t like the harmonica, it’s
just that the material never seems to be strong enough for the
instrument. This is hypocrytical, I know; it might seem like I’m
slamming such artists as Sonny Boy Williamson, Charlie Musselwhite
or the late William Clarke. And it’s not meant like that; it’s just
a personal taste.
In the case of Mark Hummel, he doesn’t resort to the harp that
much on his fourth album,
Low Down To Uptown. But when he does, he works some magic
with it. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the material is not the
strongest.
Hummel assembled a decent backing band for this release,
including guitarist Junior Watson (also appearing is labelmate Mike
Welch). And the band seems to have its chops down very well, no
question about that. The instrumental piece “Po’ Man’s Shoe Shine”
proves this without a doubt.
The difficulty is that many of the vocal pieces are in a slow,
shuffle tempo. There seems to be little variety in the speed of the
songs. The end result is an album that will literally lull you to
sleep. (I know – I fell asleep on four occasions when I tried to
listen to this album for review. Otherwise, I would have banged
this out back in July, when the disc was released.)
And it’s not that this tempo is without merit. Hummel’s duet
with Brenda Boykin, “T’ain’t What You Say,” is proof enough that
such a combination can work. Other songs, like “Keep A’ Talkin’,”
“Ooh La La” and “West Coast Flood,” all do shine. But it eventually
is the lack of variety that becomes the Achilles’ heel for
Hummel.
And then, there is “In A Sentimental Mood” – easily the crown
jewel of this set. Taking the old Duke Ellington song and making it
a harmonica-piano piece, Hummel lovingly delivers the goods,
producing some of the richest tones I’ve ever heard from a
harmonica this side of John Popper. In this case, the tempo and
delivery are the keys to the song’s success; I don’t think it would
have worked as well with a full band in tow.
Hummel is, without a doubt, a talented musician, and his backing
band members are no slouches, either. But when the songs all start
sounding the same, it doesn’t provide enough challenge for your
mind, and before you know it, you’re so far tuned out that you
could pick up Radio Free Europe. What I think Hummel has to do is
to experiment more with different rhythms and with different tempos
just to break things up a bit. The music itself is good, but it
needs to be taken to that next level.
Low Down To Uptown is by no means a bad album, and Hummel
has every right to hold his head up proudly for his accomplishments
on it. But it doesn’t erase the fact that the same tempo over and
over again is just plain boring.