Published on Dec 15, 1998
When I started in radio back in 1989, my first titled job was
blues coordinator. Liking the genre but not knowing very much about
it, I started my education by listening to the first discs we
received in that vein. The first disc I listened to was Little
Charlie And The Nightcats, an experience which I absolutely
loved.
Over the years, I have continued to listen to the band (although
I admit I’ve not picked up some of their more recent releases), but
guitarist Charlie Baty and lead vocalist Rick Estrin have always
had a special place in my heart. Maybe that’s why I was a little
disappointed with their latest release,
Shadow Of The Blues. While there is some of the good
old-fashioned humor that this band is known for, sometimes the
messages come off sounding a little bitter.
The band — now with bassist Ronnie James Weber and drummer June
Core — doesn’t change the formula that much for their sixth studio
effort. The opening track, “Never Trust A Woman,” continues the
on-going streak of good-natured songs about the troubles one can
experience in a relationship. (And, no, the woman is not always to
blame; listen closely to what Estrin is singing here to catch the
joke.) And Baty gets more than ample time to demonstrate his ample
guitar skills; check out the track “Percolatin'” as proof of
this.
But there’s not as much obvious humor on
Shadow Of The Blues as I’ve heard on past albums. Maybe in
years past, tracks like “When Your Woman Is Gone” and “I Don’t
Drink Much” would have seemed more off the cuff. But the
straight-up delivery of these tracks almost makes it seem like
Estrin and crew are taking things a little too seriously. I also
wonder what made the band choose to cover “Dirty Dealin’ Mama”
(which I first heard earlier this year on Paul Oscher’s most recent
release), a song that likewise doesn’t have much humor in it.
Keyboardist Jimmy Pugh occasionally adds his talents to this
disc — though I have to admit I’m still not used to hearing much
keyboard work with this band, and it still hasn’t sunk in with me
yet.
So what’s different with Little Charlie And The Nightcats this
time around? I would guess that Estrin and crew want to be taken a
little more seriously with their work. What the band possibly
didn’t realize is that afficionados of the blues have always taken
the band’s work seriously; they didn’t need to change their
approach.
Shadow Of The Blues still has many redeeming moments proving
that Baty and crew are a band that must be experienced. But I don’t
like the idea that the party might be taking a turn towards
seriousness.