The Nighthawks – Damn Good Time (Severn Records 2012)
There is nothing in the world as good as visiting a good roadhouse blues bar where the beer is cold, the pool tables are level, and the music is sultry, funky, and crankin’! The Nighthawks and their new album, Damn Good Time, would be a perfect fit for any such establishment!
Mark Wenner, the last original member of this 40 year old outfit, is a “dyed in the wool” Harley biker who has more than paid his dues as a blues artist. And when he cradles a harp and begins to wail on this album, it just sent chills down my spine. My favorite tune on the CD is Night Work. “Another night, another show, I won’t be home til the rooster crows. This is the life I choose. Night work…that is what I do…playin’ dirty…shoutin’ loud…anything to move the crowd.” The lyrics epitomize the Nighthawks view of a blues band. They are there to entertain YOU and they damn sure will! The tune, Georgia Slop, is a roadhouse jumpin’ and jivin’ roadhouse classic. If it doesn’t get ya movin’ and swayin’ ….you might want to check your pulse…. you may be the walking dead!
The rest of the band are “dues paid” musicians with Paul Bell on guitar, Johnny Castle on bass, and Mark Stuso (formerly with Jimmy Thackery) on drums. I loved their clean rockin’ blues sound as a unit. They all contribute vocals on different tunes including a Nat King Cole song, “Send Me” that is awesome and an Elvis tune “Too Much” that sounds great to a blues beat. And the harp playing on it just sends it off the charts. They also cover the Canned Heat tune, “Let’s Work Together”, and when they sing it, you know they mean it! If we don’t work together, the rascals and “do gooders” are going to control every aspect of our lives from the food we eat to what we smoke, drink, drive and, eventually, what music we listen to!
You are gonna love this CD from beginning to end! Thanks Nighthawks for a DAMN GOOD TIME listening to your latest tunes!
Severn Records : The Nighthawks – Damn Good Time (2012)
Ben Vee is a project management consultant by day and blues lover and internet Dj by night. He started out as a broadcast and club DJ in the 1970s and also worked for a concert promotion company booking acts throughout the southeastern United States. (benvee@60minuten.net)
