JACK KLATT & THE CAT SWINGERS –
MISSISSIPPI ROLL
2012 – Self Released
4****
Promoted as‘country blues’ does a disservice to this multi talented musician and his band. Certainly some of his
and their roots are in country blues but there are also distinct elements of folk, country, vaudeville, jazz and various other diverse elements that all in all probably makes this album best described as ‘American traditional music.’ This, despite the fact that five of the songs are new and written by Jack whilst there are eight traditional, plus Jimmy Rodgers Sweet Mama Hurry Home (or I’ll be gone) and Cornbread Harris’s Deeper Blues. It’s also certainly true to say that even taking the aforementioned label into account doesn’t really give an accurate picture of the diversity, but a diverse set of styles that are all put into the melting pot to come up with a fully formed if wide ranging individuality that really can’t be mistaken for anyone else.
This is only the second album release by this exceptional and highly original band and they have spread their wings even further with some of the incredible guests used on this tremendous recording. There is Charlie Parr, who anyone that is a regular visitor to this website knows is a huge favourite of mine and contributes vocals and 12 string guitar playing on several of the songs. Then we have the‘legendary’ Spider John Koerner, a man who truly deserves that legendary status, having been playing in the broad spectrum of blues music for many decades and singer, pianist Cornbread
Harris who was playing in the early days of ‘Rock n’ Roll.’ Finally, Dakota Dave Hull, who is almost certainly a huge influence on Jack, and is a man who has been playing many of these offshoots of traditional music for many years, always with a style and individuality that makes him virtually unique! All of these great musicians, including Jack and his band, are resident in and around the
Minneapolis area, so there is obviously still a pretty vibrant ‘Americana’ scene going on in an area made musically famous by Bob Dylan and bands such as Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, et al.
The band itself is a four piece with Jack himself on six string guitar and vocals, Patrick Harrison plays accordion and washboard, Sabyre Rae Daniels, Ukulele and vocals and Josh Granowski on upright bass. This is their second recording and it’s probably true to say this covers a broader canvas than their also excellent debut. It didn’t have the tremendous guests that this recording has, but was none the worse for that, emphasisng what a tremendous band they are. I don’t think ‘that difficult’, often career ruining second album applies in this case!
Certainly there are times when this album threatens to get overwhelmed by the sheer diversity, but always manages to pull back simply due to the talent on display. The album was recorded at Creation Audio Studio A, Minneapolis and was produced by Dakota Dave and Jack Klatt so it is likely this follows Jack’s musical vision, although several people have told me that they believe six tracks so dominated by guests are just too many. Because I’m a fan of these guests I tend to disagree although
the album would in all probability be just as strong without them, but with a little less diversity! That diversity is the whole point of the album, the intention probably being to cover in just fifteen songs some examples of the musical styles that can be found in communities along the course of the mighty
Mississippi from Louisiana to Minnesota. An impossible task of course, but this album with it’s blending of various, sometimes disparate styles certainly makes a glorious attempt to do so and most definitely creates an atmosphere that enables the listener to get a feel for much of that vast area of the U.S.
This diversity is emphasized from the outset with album opener Life’s A Drag, penned by and with lead vocals by Jack, being driven along by the beautifully played accordion and fiddle on a song that despite the instrumentation is a really strong western swinger! The next four songs are led by the guests, possibly overloading this section of the album, but the quality is there for all to hear with Charlie Parr singing and playing 12 string guitar on the traditional country blues of Turn Your Money Green. This is followed by Spider John, also on a traditional blues, Delia, in turn followed by Dakota Dave on national steel resonator guitar on the beautifully played traditional instrumental Cincinatti
Flow.This is followed by Deeper Blues a piano led song with accordion support on which the vocals could quite easily be Randy Newman but are actually Cornbread Harris on his own song. Then we return to Jack and the band on the traditional Goin’Back Home, with it’s lovely guitar sound behind a duet between Jack and Sabyre that almost qualifies as a piece of bluesy Vaudevillian hokum, similarly Jack’s Must have Been The Devil, both songs not being a million miles from Hank’s Move
It On Over! Jimmie Rodgers Sweet Mama, Hurry Home, thanks to the fiddle, not only has a western swing feel, but is predominately an old time country song with the added trombone ensuring it also has a New Orleans jazzy feel. Jack’s excellent Place Your Betsis a lovely accordion and fiddle led ballad with Jacks vocals giving the song the feel of an old time cowboy ballad with excellkent support from Sabyre on harmonies. The again Jack penned, title track Mississippi Roll, in many ways is a summing up of the album being an excellent paean to the mighty Mississipi.
Every song on the album works well, despite the diversity of artists as well as styles. Having said that, the album does hold together well and is very much a Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers album that promises much for the future. Quirky and at times quite experimental, but where would music be without people who are prepared to take chances? Long may artists such as this excellent band continue to expand our listening horizons.
http://www.jackklatt.com/
4****
Promoted as‘country blues’ does a disservice to this multi talented musician and his band. Certainly some of his
and their roots are in country blues but there are also distinct elements of folk, country, vaudeville, jazz and various other diverse elements that all in all probably makes this album best described as ‘American traditional music.’ This, despite the fact that five of the songs are new and written by Jack whilst there are eight traditional, plus Jimmy Rodgers Sweet Mama Hurry Home (or I’ll be gone) and Cornbread Harris’s Deeper Blues. It’s also certainly true to say that even taking the aforementioned label into account doesn’t really give an accurate picture of the diversity, but a diverse set of styles that are all put into the melting pot to come up with a fully formed if wide ranging individuality that really can’t be mistaken for anyone else.
This is only the second album release by this exceptional and highly original band and they have spread their wings even further with some of the incredible guests used on this tremendous recording. There is Charlie Parr, who anyone that is a regular visitor to this website knows is a huge favourite of mine and contributes vocals and 12 string guitar playing on several of the songs. Then we have the‘legendary’ Spider John Koerner, a man who truly deserves that legendary status, having been playing in the broad spectrum of blues music for many decades and singer, pianist Cornbread
Harris who was playing in the early days of ‘Rock n’ Roll.’ Finally, Dakota Dave Hull, who is almost certainly a huge influence on Jack, and is a man who has been playing many of these offshoots of traditional music for many years, always with a style and individuality that makes him virtually unique! All of these great musicians, including Jack and his band, are resident in and around the
Minneapolis area, so there is obviously still a pretty vibrant ‘Americana’ scene going on in an area made musically famous by Bob Dylan and bands such as Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, et al.
The band itself is a four piece with Jack himself on six string guitar and vocals, Patrick Harrison plays accordion and washboard, Sabyre Rae Daniels, Ukulele and vocals and Josh Granowski on upright bass. This is their second recording and it’s probably true to say this covers a broader canvas than their also excellent debut. It didn’t have the tremendous guests that this recording has, but was none the worse for that, emphasisng what a tremendous band they are. I don’t think ‘that difficult’, often career ruining second album applies in this case!
Certainly there are times when this album threatens to get overwhelmed by the sheer diversity, but always manages to pull back simply due to the talent on display. The album was recorded at Creation Audio Studio A, Minneapolis and was produced by Dakota Dave and Jack Klatt so it is likely this follows Jack’s musical vision, although several people have told me that they believe six tracks so dominated by guests are just too many. Because I’m a fan of these guests I tend to disagree although
the album would in all probability be just as strong without them, but with a little less diversity! That diversity is the whole point of the album, the intention probably being to cover in just fifteen songs some examples of the musical styles that can be found in communities along the course of the mighty
Mississippi from Louisiana to Minnesota. An impossible task of course, but this album with it’s blending of various, sometimes disparate styles certainly makes a glorious attempt to do so and most definitely creates an atmosphere that enables the listener to get a feel for much of that vast area of the U.S.
This diversity is emphasized from the outset with album opener Life’s A Drag, penned by and with lead vocals by Jack, being driven along by the beautifully played accordion and fiddle on a song that despite the instrumentation is a really strong western swinger! The next four songs are led by the guests, possibly overloading this section of the album, but the quality is there for all to hear with Charlie Parr singing and playing 12 string guitar on the traditional country blues of Turn Your Money Green. This is followed by Spider John, also on a traditional blues, Delia, in turn followed by Dakota Dave on national steel resonator guitar on the beautifully played traditional instrumental Cincinatti
Flow.This is followed by Deeper Blues a piano led song with accordion support on which the vocals could quite easily be Randy Newman but are actually Cornbread Harris on his own song. Then we return to Jack and the band on the traditional Goin’Back Home, with it’s lovely guitar sound behind a duet between Jack and Sabyre that almost qualifies as a piece of bluesy Vaudevillian hokum, similarly Jack’s Must have Been The Devil, both songs not being a million miles from Hank’s Move
It On Over! Jimmie Rodgers Sweet Mama, Hurry Home, thanks to the fiddle, not only has a western swing feel, but is predominately an old time country song with the added trombone ensuring it also has a New Orleans jazzy feel. Jack’s excellent Place Your Betsis a lovely accordion and fiddle led ballad with Jacks vocals giving the song the feel of an old time cowboy ballad with excellkent support from Sabyre on harmonies. The again Jack penned, title track Mississippi Roll, in many ways is a summing up of the album being an excellent paean to the mighty Mississipi.
Every song on the album works well, despite the diversity of artists as well as styles. Having said that, the album does hold together well and is very much a Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers album that promises much for the future. Quirky and at times quite experimental, but where would music be without people who are prepared to take chances? Long may artists such as this excellent band continue to expand our listening horizons.
http://www.jackklatt.com/