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The new, long awaited CD from Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies, titled
"The L.A.B. Results," is the first recording project by this fine Olympia based
blues band. The album gets it's title from the venue it was recorded at. As part
of the Seattle Drum School, a live performance of the band was recorded in the
Little Auditorium in the Back, thus, the name. I had to keep reminding myself
that this was a live recording because the sound quality was very crisp and
clean, without the normal room noise that plague many live recordings. The
production quality was also very true to the genre, without being over produced
and too slick, the album maintains the raw edge that is so obvious in their live
performances. With Tom Boyle as producer, I expected nothing less.
The album opens with a great version of the Otis Rush instrumental "Easy Go,"
featuring Tom "T-Boy" Boyle on electric guitar. T-Boy has been one of the most
influential musicians in the western Washington blues scene for decades and is
surely a huge influence and the soul of this, his new band. It is Boyle's superb
guitar that punctuates the whole album and sets the initial high standard that
this band aspires to.
The second cut, "Natural Born Lover," features the band's namesake, Becki Sue,
in a high energy rendition, followed by the third cut, another ass kicker titled
"Mean, Mean Man." Both songs showcase Becki's ability to belt it out yet using
sophisticated phrasing that fits Becki's vocal stylings perfectly. I can
remember not too long ago, when I first saw Becki perform, I'm now amazed to see
how far she's gone and how much she and her vocals have grown. I've seen how
hard Becki has worked to hone her craft and I will be the first to testify that
all that her labors have certainly paid off.
The fourth cut on the L.A.B. Results is the Muddy Waters classic, "Cross-eyed
Cat," featuring harp/sax master Jim King. As the other front in the band, Jim
offers the triple threat with not only fine vocals, he's also a true ace on both
the Mississippi and tenor saxophones. On Cross-eyed, the harp line is the
counter melody and the guts of the song, King's version would make even the
originator, James Cotton, proud. King's amazing tenor sax is also featured on
the instrumental "Waterbed Lou." It's important to note that Jim's sax is as
true blue as any I've heard. There's no jazz or rock licks coming out of this
harp player's horn.
The band is also backed by the awesome rhythm section team of Jeff Hayes on
drums and percussion and Les "Wild Child" White on the upright bass. Hayes is
one of the most respected and hardest working musicians in today's blues scene,
not only in Washington but in the Mississippi Delta as well. Whereas the Wild
Child not only lays down a killer bass line, he also slings that bass like it
was a cello, with images of Tom and Les tradin' licks becoming a visual icon of
the band. This bass man has some sweet pipes too, showing it on the swing beat
tune "I Can't Stop It" and sharing harmonies on on several other selections.
A few other highlights of this album include Jim's versions of "Whiskey Drinkin'
Woman," and "I Got Love If You Want It," with some very nice harmonizing by
Becki. Jim and Becki again team up on Little Walter's "Just Your Fool," with
strong vocals from Becki and equally strong harp by Jim. Probably the most
interesting selection on this CD is the blues standard by Muddy Waters, "Mean
Mistreater." Becki Sue truly recreated this song to suite her stylings with
great success. I've heard this song done by many, both good and bad. Outside of
the original, I'd call this version as good and as different as any I've heard.
I'm not going to make any idiotic statements like this album deserves a Grammy,
or a Handy, or a Pulitzer Prize. I will say however, that this is one of the
best locally produced albums I've heard in a while and should be among this
year's BB Award finalists for Best Recording.
This review is as it appeared in The Washington Blues Society "Bluesletter",
December, 2005 Holiday Issue.
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high
energy - low down - blues to the bone!
