Mandolin has a long, if obscure, history with the
blues
. Some may know
mandolin from
Jim Schwall
's work with the
Siegel-Schwall Band
in the mid-'60s, or be familiar with long gone Chicago legends
Yank Rachell
and
Johnny Young
, but today
mandolin retains its aura of mystery.
Gerry Hundt
, part of the
Nick Moss
/
Blue Bella
gang, hopes to change all that.
Hundt
is a versatile bluesman, adept on bass, guitar, and harmonica, as well as mandolin, but
Since Way Back
it's all about the mandolin. The set includes both full band outings and piano/mandolin duets in the style of the
Otis Spann
classic
"Keep Your Nose Out of My Business."
The most remarkable thing about
's playing here is how he avoids the obvious temptation to play in the style of the older generation to follow his own path.
's style is as
country
as it is Chicago, with a laid-back feel on the mandolin that's complemented by his aggressive vocal attack. Backed by
Flip Tops
on bass and acoustic guitar,
Willie O'Shawny
on piano, and drummer
Bob Carter
as well as lead guitarist
Josh Stimmel
, and
Barrelhouse Chuck
on, what else, piano,
provides a primer of his own style of mandolin
. On
"Since Way Back"
he tunes the mandolin
Rachell
style, with the fourth string tuned down a step or two.
Bill Lupkin
's forceful harmonica complements the big, chiming sound of
's mandolin.
"That Woman!"
is an instrumental that gives the ensemble time to stretch out and features impressive solo work by
Stimmel
,
Lupkin
O'Shawny
, who is particularly impressive, and
, who moves between slurred notes, rippling arpeggios, and single-note runs.
"Burning Fire,"
an
tune, gets a soulful reworking as a duet with
's smoky piano;
delivers a smoldering vocal and more sterling work on mandolin.
"You're the One"
has a loose,
Jimmy Rogers
-style groove and a nonchalant vocal by
.
"Trying Hard"
has a
Howlin' Wolf
feel and builds steam with
delivering solos that slowly move from relaxed to incendiary. The instrumental duet with
on
"End of the Bay Blues"
demonstrates how two pros can create a remarkably full sound.
's mandolin dances in and around
Chuck
's slow, left hand bass pulse, and his frenetic, rippling right hand, and closes the piece with the pair playing undulating harmonic runs in unison. The cover art is a riff on the classic
Blue Note
album art of the early '60s, and gives the package a hip, retro feel. ~ j. poet