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ROCK AND BLUES MUSE
Review: Big Joe and the Dynaflows
“Rockhouse Party”
Big Joe and the Dynaflows is the hot, blue, and righteous Washington,
D.C.-based outfit of groove merchants led by
drummer/vocalist/entertainer/recording artist Big Joe Maher. Big Joe has been
playing blues and jazz music for nearly 50 years. He worked with jazz legends
like Mundell Lowe and Clark Terry while still in high
school and has been pounding the skins ever since. He has also shared air with
blues, soul, and R&B greats like Jimmy Witherspoon, Willie Dixon, Lazy
Lester, Bull Moose Jackson, James “Thunderbird” Davis, Nappy Brown,
and Otis Rush. His latest release, Rockhouse
Party, drops February 15th, 2019 on Severn Records and
is a top-shelf record full of everything we all love about the blues.
Maher is that rarest
of breeds, a lead-singing drummer, and, as such, controls the two most vital elements
of his songs. His pocket is strong and solid, his swing is deep, and his vocals
and engaging and expressive. The album opens with a cover of Roosevelt Sykes’ “Drivin’ Wheel” that is cool and confident and is built on a
perfect mid-tempo shuffle feel. Many bands like to open a record with something
fast and frantic but Big Joe keeps it wide open and easy, full of the
confidence that lots more great music is on the way. His vocals express Sykes’
lyrics in a way that keeps listeners tuned in and paying attention to the
songwriting skills that created them.
Big Joe and the Dynaflows bassist Tom
“Mookie” Brill takes over vocals on the
heartbreak-heavy “So Mean To Me” and lays every bit of pain in the song out for
all to see. It’s the kind of track that reminds us that blues is vocal music
first and foremost and that it’s built on actual songs, not the endless
instrumental jamming so common with lesser groups. “Rockhouse
Party represents my love of pure blues and R&B,” says Big Joe, “The songs I
write come from my heart and tell the same story as all the great blues artists
have done for the last 100 years: the story of life!” This kind of real human
storytelling is somewhat of a lost art in the 21st Century but Big Joe does a
fine job of keeping the spirit and tradition of blues music alive without
sounding like a history lesson.
“World Gone Wrong” is
an emotive slow blues with socially-conscious lyrics about the state of indigo
that’s washing over our planet and it’s worth some
close listening time. Co-producer Kevin McKendree lays
down sweet piano and organ licks here that add to the track’s 3AM atmosphere.
Guitarists Robert Frahm and Yates McKendree
put in good work, too, and are always right where they should be on the entire
album. The set ends with another slow blues, “Two Years of Torture,” that shows
the entire band’s mastery of open space. No one ever overplays and this keeps
the mood deliciously soulful.
Big Joe and the Dynaflows have a winner in Rockhouse
Party, plain and simple. The record is distributed by MRI/The Orchard/Sony
in both CD and LP formats and both versions feature vibrant cover art done by
Big Joe’s homie Marty
Baumann, who works for Disney-Pixar Films. This means it should be
available and attracting attention around the world, bring the band to the
biggest audience it has ever had. This is definitely one for lovers of vintage
sounds but the soul and creativity the album contains will make it a good time
for anyone interested in American musical styles. Rockhouse
Party is a blast from beginning to end and you should play it for
everyone you know. If they don’t respond to this session, they might be dead.
Pick it up today!
By Mike O’Cull
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BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE
POSTED
ONAPRIL 21, 2019 BY MARTY GUNTHER
Big Joe & The Dynaflows
– Rockhouse Party | Album Review
Severn Records CD 0074
13 songs – 48 minutes
Big Joe Maher has been one of
the top drummers and vocalists in the business since emerging from the
Washington, D.C. area and this album, which was produced by Nashville
heavyweight Kevin McKendree, clearly demonstrates he
hasn’t lost a step. A Maryland native, Big Joe cut his teeth listening to Louis
Jordan and other blues and R&B greats, influences who’ve remained his
inspiration since forming his own trio after graduating from high school. He
spent most of the 1980s managing and playing with The Uptown Rhythm Kings, a
nine-piece swing band, before joining legendary guitarist Tom Principato’s ensemble.
He formed the Dynaflows as a five-piece unit late in the decade and spent
most of the ‘90s serving as musical director of Mick Fleetwood’s eponymous
nightclub in Alexandria, Va., when not touring with his own band. A three-time winner of the Washington Area Music Awards, the Dynaflows released their first album in 1990 and include
successful releases on Ichiban, Black Top, Tramp and Severn, where they’ve
returned after an eight-year absence.
Delivering an old-school mix
of blues and R&B, the album takes its name from McKendree’s
Rockhouse Studio in suburban Franklin, Tenn., and
features Mookie Brill, the multiple Blues Music
Award-winning bass player, holding down the bottom
throughout and sharing vocals with Big Joe. McKendree
contributes keyboards throughout. They’re joined by Robert Frahm
and Kevin’s 17-year-old son, Yates, on guitars with a guest appearance by Erin
Coburn who provides backing vocals on two cuts and contributes six-string on
another.
The disc contains five
originals – four by Maher and one by Yates – and eight covers and opens with
unhurried, guitar-fueled take on Roosevelt Sykes’ “Driving Wheel,” once a major
hit for Junior Parker. A percussive shuffle, it swings comfortably into Little
Milton’s stop-time classic, “So Mean To Me,” with
Brill taking command of the vocals. He remains in charge for another R&B
stunner, O.V. Wright’s “8 Men 4 Women,” which follows. Big Joe’s back in charge
for Dave Bartholomew’s “Go On Fool” and “World Gone
Wrong,” the first new tune in the set. It’s a tasty ballad that features McKendree on keys and deals with the realization that
things simply aren’t the way they used to be. An understated political
statement, it focuses on how folks are much angrier than they used to be.Nappy Brown’s “If You Need Some Lovin’”
is up next, followed by “Overdrive,” an uptempo
instrumental rocker that gives the guitars space to shine. Fenton Robinson’s
“Tennessee Woman” follows before a pair of originals: the stop-time “Go With
The Flow,” about picking up a lady in a brand new Dynaflow,
and the loping “I’m A Country Boy,” which sings about the perils of city
life.“Vibrate,” first performed in the ‘60s by rockabilly keyboard player Mack
Self, gets new life before the jazzy “Sleepy Joe.” Penned by Yates McKendree, it’s a well-paced instrumental that features all
three guitarists with the lead lines jumping between channels. The Percy
Mayfield ballad “Two Years Of Torture” brings the disc
to a close.While Rockhouse
Party doesn’t cut much new ground, it’s as comfortable as an old pair of
slippers and perfect for any blues lover with old-school sensibilities.
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BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE
“DEAL WITH IT” -- 4 JACKS (Big Joe, Anson, Kevin &
Steve)
By: Chip
Eagle, March 1, 2013
So Retro, So Cool
First off,
what a cool name! “J” stands for Big Joe Maher, “A” is for Anson
Funderburgh, “K” is for Kevin McKendree, and last, but not least,
‘S’ is for Steve Mackey. Please no questions about the “C”!
I first saw
this band in 2012 on Delbert McClinton‘s Sandy Beaches Cruise and
there was a buzz that they were going into Kevin McKendree’s studio to record.
I saw them again this past January on this year’s Delbert
cruise and Kevin McKendree handed me their new CD. Yes! Three of the four
players have close ties to Delbert, so unless (I’m not knowing) Big Joe Maher
is the only unconnected musician to Mr. McClinton. McKendree and Mackey have
been with Delbert for some time now, and Anson previously recorded with
Delbert. Big Joe played on McKendree’s Hammers and Strings CD, so
there’s that tie in. Long story short, lots of tie-ins.
Deal With It is comprised of twelve tracks, three are covers, and most
of the balance of tunes were either written or co-written by Maher. The
instrumental title track opens this album and it’s a promising start. McKendree
broils on B3, Funderburgh is right on with his big fat tone as the band locks
in on a track that could have been recorded in the Sixties. Good stuff! Maher’s
“Have Ourselves a Time” is so hip! Maher’s in his typical good vocal form,
Funderburgh’s guitar is sweet, Mackey’s locked in, and McKendree tickles the
keys and it’s a fun, good time for all. Percy Mayfield’s “I Don’t Want To Be President” follows and fits the bill like
a glove. Funderburgh’s sparse playing nails it, McKendree doubles on B3 and
piano and he’s is right on too. “Vote for me!”
Maher’s
rollicking “She Ain’t Worth a Dime” rolls. McKendree
keys are spot on with Maher’s vocals carrying on. The smoky, late-night vibe on
Maher’s “Love’s Like That” is an end-of-the-night vamp. Funderburgh fits in
smartly with his solo, McKendree’s very supportive on piano as this gem
mesmerizes. It’s blues time on Maher’s “Bobcat Woman,”
which is about putting poison in the coffee and arsenic in the tea, not a very
happy lyric, but this tune will make you smile as the band percolates
throughout. Their cover of “Your Turn to Cry” is, as
expected, a sordid tale that’s very bluesy and talks about that there’s someone
else by my side.
Maher’s
“Thunder and Lightning” feels like it could have been out of the Freddie
King songbook. Funderburgh easily fits the King’s part as the entire band
coagulates to the end. Appropriately, “Texas Twister” follows instrumentally.
Funderburgh’s so cozy and delivers on all fronts; the band follows in
perfection on this ultra-fun tune authored by every band member.
“Ansonmypants,” co-authored by Maher and Yates McKendree (Kevin’s son)
is another hoot. Anson is so dead on and just sails, daddy McKendree hits the
B3 as his kid sparkles on the keys. “Bad News Baby” is another late-night blues
cover. You know what’s coming but want it. Yes, you’re bad news baby, cheat on
me and let my hair turn gray… bring it on. Anson delivers the dirty deeds on
guitar to near perfection, as does Maher’s vocals, who’s
righteously out of his mind and has had his fill, but he’s still loving that
bad news baby.
This cool
disc closes with the instrumental “Painkiller,” authored by all the band
members that could have easily been covered by the original sixties version of
the Meters, it’s so sultry and appropriately funky.
Who makes
albums like this? Nobody, but when you blend the high musicianship assembled
here and add their knowledge of the music they cherish, what else could you
expect? High-quality tunes performed flawlessly. Very recommended listening,
little else compares.
Bob
Putignano is a senior contributing editor at BluesWax, a contributing
writer at Blues Revue, and the heart and soul of Sounds of Blue.
___________________________________________________________________________
BLUES IN BRITAIN
“DEAL WITH IT”
-- 4 JACKS
Ellersoul ER121201
The 4 Jacks in question in
question on this hot set of jumping blues and R&B just happen to be four of
the finest musicians on the blues scene today – namely Anson Funderburgh, Big
Joe Maher, Kevin McKendree and Steve Mackey.
With musicians like that you would expect quality – and that’s just what
you get.
The set kicks off with the
title track – a lasciviously swinging instrumental fuelled by hot Texas guitar,
percolating B3 and a rhythm section that as Tampa Red would say is “tight like
that”. ‘Have Ourselves A Time’ is
self-explanatory as it swings irresistibly fuelled by the booming clarity of
Maher’s vocals – whilst on ‘I Don’t Want To Be President’ Maher captures the
smoky quality of Percy Mayfield’s vocal style which is echoed by Funderburgh’s beautifully understated guitar. ‘Ansonmypants’ is a slab of vintage rock’n’roll fired by
Yates McKendree’s powerhouse boogie piano, Maher’s animated vocals and
Funderburgh’s fiery Texas guitar – whilst ‘Bad News Baby’ proves the 4 Jacks
are equally at home on moody late night blues.With Funderburgh on board a
number like ‘Texas Twister’ was inevitable and this one is a killer with him
sounding like a blue Duane Eddy underpinned by Maher’s trash-can drums.
As they say “all killer – no
filler. Mick Rainsford
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OFFBEAT
MAGAZINE “Absolute Jaw Dropper” By: Jeff Hannusch “YOU
CAN’T KEEP A BIG MAN DOWN” -- BIG JOE & THE DYNAFLOWS Big Joe is
a rarity in the blues world. He's a drummer who doubles as a vocalist. That's
about as rare as a left-handed baseball catcher. His sound is akin to Roomful of
Blues, but more stripped down (less horny, you can say). He relies on
well-chosen vintage material, but he's also capable of writing first-class originals. The
title track is one of those originals, as it shuffles along a la mid-1950s
B.B. King. Ironically, he covers a couple mid-1950s B.B. King tracks— "Bad
Case of Love" and the Jay McShann-penned "Confessin' the Blues." The track here that's an
absolute jaw-dropper--especially if you're from these parts— is the
swamp-pop weeper "Evangeline." You'll swear you've heard this song
on an old Guitar Gable or Cookie and the Cupcakes 45, but you haven't. It's a
Big Joe
original. Another witty original is "Property Line," which
"borrows" the arrangement from Israel "Popper Topper"
Tolbert's "Big Leg Woman." So is the
telling lament of the nine-to-five grind "Face the Facts."
Definitely recommended to those with a taste for the blues. |
Big
Joe & the Dynaflows Deliver Jumping Rhythm, Blues, Rock
By MattMarshall http://www.americanbluesscene.com/2011/04/big-joe-and-the-dynaflows/
April 2, 2011 Posted in: Album Reviews, Blues, Reviews
Big Joe and the Dynaflows recently released their new album You Can’t Keep A Big Man Down, from Severn
Records. Big Joe Maher, a 30 year veteran of both blues and jazz, is a mighty
vocalist and a powerful drummer, both positions he takes up on this album. There’s
a range of influences to play with, while the album thematically continues
along a jump blues feeling that helps keep it centered.
The second track is an excellent
cover of B.B. King’s “Bad Case of Love”, with a righteous
multi-saxophone backing courtesy of Dennis Taylor. Joe’s drumming and vocals
are perfect for the track, possibly one of the best renditions of the song
since the King himself put his stamp on it. Rob McNelley’s guitar riffs echo
B.B. while managing to hold his own sound, an accomplishment that isn’t easy to
pull off. “Evangeline” is straight out of the classic New Orleans R&B
playbook. “I’m To Blame” is a great take on the track, with heavy horns and a
rockin’ piano groove reminiscent of B.B. King.
Overall, the album plays with a
number of styles, all of which are handled easily by the crack band. Maher
makes the vocal work sound effortless. While the liner notes make a mighty
proclamation that he’s one of the finest drummers on the scene today, after
hearing this album, we might be convinced. With a great blend of original and
cover tracks, it’s a fun, upbeat album that surely has that jumping blues
feeling. Since it’s recent release, it’s been getting
quite a bit of mileage, with appearances on B.B. King’s Bluesville on Sirius
XM, New Orleans’ Offbeat Magazine, and plenty of others.
“You Can't Keep A Big Man Down"
Big Joe and the Dynaflows
CD Review by John H.
Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
The liner notes for "You Can't Keep A
Big Man Down" start off by saying "Big Joe Maher is among the finest drummers
and vocalists on the scene today". A bold statement indeed, but one that
you will soon find more then fitting once you have started listening to his
great new release.
"You Can't Keep A Big Man Down" consists of 12 Tracks mainly done in
the vain of Jump Style Blues, with the odd track bordering on a little Funk and
Swing feel, with great flavors of New Orleans, Chicago, Texas, and Beyond
Blues. Six of the Tracks are Covers and six are Originals, with Big Joe Maher
solely writing four songs and co-writing two in whole or part, with J.R.Maher, P. Maher, Bill Campbell, and Rob McNelley. Band
members for "You Can't Keep A Big Man Down"
included Big Joe Maher (Drums/Vocals), Kevin McKendree (Piano/Organ), Bill
Campbell (Bass), Rob McNelley (Guitar), Dennis Taylor (Saxophone). It was
produced by Kevin McKendree and Big Joe Maher.
It starts off with the first Original, which is the title track, "You
Can't Keep a Big Man Down", a great Chicago Blues style tune that gets you
acquainted with the great guitar playing of Rob McNelley.
The second track, "Bad Case of Love", is the first cover on "You Can't Keep A Big Man Down", and starts off with a
great intro courtesy of Dennis Taylor on Saxophone. This B.B. King song is simply done to perfection, especially with the great
vocals and drumming of Big Joe Maher.
Other Covers on this release are Whatcha Gonna Do? (Billy Wright), Someday (Johnny Green),
Confessin' the Blues (J. McShann/Walter Brown), I'm to Blame (J. McCracklin)
and What the Hell Were You Thinkin'? (Mcclinton/McKendree/Hambridge).
All the covers are done extremely well and fit into the general theme of "You Can't Keep A Big Man Down" in a logical and well
done fashion.
I found all the Originals to be very well written and performed and they cover the
gamut of styles from "Evangeline", a sound reminiscent of Elvis
Presley, in the slower vain. to "Nothin' But
Trouble", a great slow song which is highlighted by the amazingly youthful
feel of Big Joe Maher's vocals as well as all the other magic brought into it
courtesy of all the other great band members.
"You Can't Keep A Big Man Down" is a great
bluesy musical romp, put together via Big Joe Maher and his exceptional group
of fellow Artists. This release not only shows us that Big Joe Maher is indeed
"among the finest drummers and vocalists on the scene today,” but it also
shows us that together as with "The Dynaflows"
he also is part of one of the better bands on the scene today.
"You Can't Keep A Big Man Down" was a great
introduction to an Artist and Band I was not really aware of. Great Stuff... Highly Recommended.