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Blues Underground Network |
Todd Wolfe Band "Stripped Down At The Bang Palace"
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You can pretty well tell you are listening to a good Album after only hearing 2 or 3 songs, but on the other hand you can tell you are listening to a really good Album just half way through the first track. This is the case with the Todd Wolfe Band and their newest release "Stripped Down At The Bang Palace". Todd Wolfe plays a brand of music he calls “bluesadelic”, namely psychedelic blues rock, which will certainly throw you into the nearest time machine and transport you back to the good old days of that style of music, namely the 60's. Those of you whom don't think you are familiar with Todd Wolfe are only kidding yourselves, as he was the lead guitarist with Sheryl Crow from 1992 to 1998 and even co-wrote a little with her. Together they continued to hone their craft touring with all the big boys, such as, the Stones and Elton John to name just a few. Previous to that, Todd was still a well seasoned Artist with his Band, Troy & the Tornados, and not only played at the biggest clubs in New York, but was also a opening act for many of the greats back then as well including, Johnny Winter, The Neville Bros., Son Seals, Gregg Allman, and Albert Collins, to name a few. "Stripped Down At The Bang Palace" consists of 13 Blues/Rock Infused Tracks and clocks in at a more than healthy 65 minutes. It was recorded at Scott Bradoka's Bang Palace Studio and the Stripped Down part of the title refers to the fact it was recorded live in the studio with as few overdubs as possible, giving the Album it's great natural sound that is often lacking on todays overly overdubbed CD's. "Stripped Down At The Bang Palace" features a great mix of Originals and Covers. The Originals are all strong both lyrically and musically, but the real treat for me was all the Covers and how the Todd Wolfe Band masterfully interpreted them which included, Elmore James “Stranger Blues”, Willie Dixon’s “Evil”, Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” and Robert Johnson’s “Come On in My Kitchen” to name but a few. "Stripped Down At The Bang Palace" was purely and simply a great Album to listen to. It took me back, way back to when music was arguably a lot better and lot more meaningful. For any lover of the 60's and a little of the 70's style Blues/Rock, this Album is for you. Highly Recommended and Thoroughly Enjoyable. "Stripped Down At The Bang Palace" grabbed me a few notes into the first song and didn't let go until the last notes of the last song were over. Blues Underground Network 5***** Rating Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network) Other Info And Reviews Sometimes I am a little na?ve when it comes to record reviews. Todd Wolfe was not in my blues and rock vocabulary, so when I encounter an artist that is new to me I first just pop the CD in and listen without doing any research, let alone reading liner notes or any other promo material that may come with the review CD copy. I listen straight through this and said, “Whoa Nellie!,” in my finest imitation of Keith Jackson calling an Ohio State and Michigan game. This is a serious guitar player with some equally serious talent. As it turns our, Todd was Sheryl Crow’s lead guitarist from 1992 to 1998. He and Sheryl toured with the Stones, Dylan, the Eagles, Page & Plant and Elton John. Before that and also now after that stint, he plays what he calls “bluesadelic”, a 1960’s styled blend of psychedelic blues rock. The band features Todd on guitars, vocals and Mandola, Suavek Zaniesienko on bass and BG Vox, and Roger Voss on drums and percussion. These guys are tight and hot. Recorded live with minimal overdubs, Wolfe and company deliver huge performances of some original and some quite interesting covered material. Wolfe begins with original acoustic blues in “Wing of a Dove”. His vocals and paying hear are strong, swamp filled blues. It’s a great song but in no way does it prepare the listener for the mega roller coaster ride of electric guitar work that follows. Elmore James “Stranger Blues” follows, and the guitar gets fully amped up and fuzzed out. He shuffles through Eddie Taylor’s “Bad Boy” in convincing style and with great restraint that gives the cut a very cool blues shuffle sound. He goes back to the Delta with Robert Johnson’s “Come On in My Kitchen” and gives this old standard new life. Willie Dixon’s “Evil” gets a hot and greasy play from Wolfe as does “Three O’Clock Blues”, played with a full force guitar lead that will impress you. These are songs we all know and love and Wolfe picks and plays through them with reverence. "It's All Over Now" is a sweet rendition of this Bobby Womack number, and In the midst of a big guitar solo he breaks into an homage to the Allman Brothers with the riffs from "One Way Out" blended in before he closes out with a big finish. The CD ends with Howlin’ Wolf’s “Wreck My Life”. When I played it the song reminded me of the Doors doing the Wolf; when I opened the promo stuff that came with the CD it toutes the tracks as “Doors-esque”, so I guess I am on the same page as his publicist! If I had to have some small criticism it would be with the vocals. While mostly very strong, they do falter a bit at times. Where they least appeal to me is in a very cool National Steel slide guitar (perhaps it's his slide mandola?) cover of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”. The guitar is smooth and sweet but the vocals are a little uneven. The other rough spot is in Muddy's "She's Nineteen Years Old". He covers these tracks in hs own style, which is fresh and very cool; it's just that he seems a little uneven on the vocal lines. But this is minor and the huge guitar presence and very tight sound of this band make this a hot CD for the rocking blues lover. One can hear the influences of the Stones, Doors, Cream, Derek and the Dominos along with the older blues masters in Todds guitar style. Wolfe is a great guitar player that folks need to sit up and listen to. This CD, his sixth, showcases a guy who can really make the guitar wail! . Reviewer Steve Jones is secretary of the Crossroads Blues Society in Rockford. IL.
If you read the liner notes for Todd
Wolfe's latest album, Stripped Down At the Bang Palace, you find out that
the title of the CD is actually a description of what you are going to
hear over the length of the disc's 65 minutes. The stripped down approach works really well with the material from the record, which consists of ten covers out of the album's 13 total tracks. Covers range from the electric "Bad Boy" (Eddie Taylor), to an amazing, sliding version of Mountain's "Mississippi Queen." Stripped Down At the Bang Palace starts with the Wolfe original "Wing Of A Dove," a nice number featuring acoustic guitar and slide, along with some backing vocals by Sarah Ayers providing some nice depth. "Roll Over" and "Light Of Day" are the other two songs on the album by Wolfe. "Roll Over" has a chugging rhythm that kept my head-bobbing throughout, before it launches into a heavy jam at the end. "Light Of Day," co-written by R.S. Bryan, is lyrically, the strongest original song on Stripped Down At the Bang Palace. As I said before, the record is filled with covers. All of the songs included are tunes that Wolfe and company have either recorded in the past and performed new versions of here, or songs that they like to include in their live shows. The first of these tunes is the electric "Stranger Blues" by Elmore James, and features a great example of Wolfe's fretwork. Wolfe arranges Muddy Waters' "She's Nineteen Years Old" in the vein of a slowed down "Crossroads" by Cream. An interesting interpretation, for sure, and an entertaining one, if for no other reason than to fool everyone who would immediately think he was launching into "Crossroads." Good stuff. "Black Night" is a heavy version of Jessie May Robinson's classic Blues that has been covered by seemingly everyone, and T.W.B. do a good job, too. I really enjoyed Wolfe's rendition of Robert Johnson's "Come In My Kitchen," with electric slide guitar and more of Ayers' background vocal. Wolfe's guitar tone and playing on B.B. King's "Three O' Clock Blues" both sound terrific. Voss and Zaniesienko flex their skills on Todd Wolfe Band's version of the Willie Dixon penned "Evil," a tune that immediately triggers the great Howlin Wolf in my memory. Speaking of the Wolf, Todd Wolfe pays tribute to him with a version of Howlin' Wolf's "Wreck My Life" to end Stripped Down At the Bang Palace. The song clocks in over eight minutes, and is easily the album's longest track. Stripped Down At the Bang Palace is an eclectic Blues-Rock record filled with amazing guitar-work from Wolfe, and a look at many of his greatest influences. While I am always impressed by Wolfe's skill on the electric guitar, I enjoy his acoustic work even more, but that's just a personal observation. http://www.fulltimeblues.com/review_021010.html
Stripped Down at the Bang Palace, Todd Wolfe Band, Blues Leaf Records It's not so much that Todd Wolfe is stripped down here -- it's more like he is going back to his roots in the blues. Wolfe works at the Bang Palace studio with his usual band and guests Sarah Ayers on supporting vocals and Rich Frikkers on percussion. Wolfe does not completely give up his hard driving blues rock, but he mixes in many other styles on this CD. On these 13 tracks, mostly covers, Wolfe uses both acoustic and electric guitars, with a good deal of slide on each. There is also a bit of mandola, a lower-pitched mandolin. Wolfe has a convincing blues voice, but it is both the variety and the skill of the guitar work that stand out. Acoustic slide is featured on "Wing of a Dove," and a rocking acoustic version of "Mississippi Queen" still has a cowbell. "Three O' Clock Blues" is a slow electric number with lightning-fast riffs. "It's All Over Now" features cool riffing with a little fuzz. "Come in My Kitchen," with overtracked acoustic and electric guitars, has a more upbeat vibe than most versions, with Ayers taking spirited harmony vocals. Suavek Zanlesienko on bass provides a steady, solid bottom on most numbers, but he echoes Wolfe's leads at points and adds a few flourishes on others. Drummer Roger Voss has a driving, staccato style that fits in with Wolfe's rock orientation. It might be impossible to play completely new blues riffs today. But you will never hear Wolfe play music that sounds overly familiar and recycled like the stuff that appears on far too many blues releases even now. "Stripped Down" is how the blues ought to sound. by Dave Howell Tracklist
1. Wing of a Dove Listen To Samples Here
Todd began playing on the New York scene back in 1979 with his band, Troy & the Tornados performing in rooms such as the Lone Star Cafe, The Ritz, My Father's Place, Lamour's, The Chance, Tramps, Rodeo Bar and probably any hole in the wall in the NYC area that would book the Tornados. Todd or 'Troy' and company opened for a bevy of acts such as, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, The Neville Bros., Son Seals, Dickey Betts, Omar & the Howlers, Gregg Allman, The Outlaws, Smithereens, Zebra, and his first opener back in 1980 , Albert Collins! Todd decided to head west in 1990 to write and record a demo with a then unknown backup singer named Sheryl Crow. After having that demo passed on by some major labels and not generating much interest after one show case performance, Todd decided to stay in Los Angeles to record and tour with former Textone, Carla Olson. Todd continued to record and perform with Carla and gig with his own blues trio and kept busy scoring soundtracks for the Playboy Channel. Sheryl in the meantime, had finished her first album, 'Tuesday Night Music Club' and needed a guitarist for her touring band which she put together in June of 1993 so, Todd came on board and remained until February of 1998. In 1996, Todd relocated back to the NYC area and with Eric Massimino, Mike Lawrence and Crow band mate Scott Bryan founded A & M Record's MOJOSON, a modern blend of psychedelic Rock and Blues. Since the Universal takeover of the Polygram group left new A & M acts like Mojoson in limbo, Todd elected to leave the label and dissolve Mojoson, putting his energies into Wolfe, which was born during the downtime from Sheryl Crow tours. Todd and his band, plays aggressive and daring blues tinged jam-rock reminiscent of the bands of the sixties and seventies. Now, with his newest band Todd Wolfe picks up where he left off 10 years ago with his original Bluesadelic-jamming sounds! "Borrowed Time", Todd's fifth album just released by Blues Leaf Records in North America and soon to be released in Europe by Hypertension Music is mostly comprised of original songs including "California" a song that Todd wrote with Sheryl Crow. Also included on the upcoming release is "Baby I'm Down" a Felix Pappalardi song from the first Leslie West album "Mountain". Todd is joined by Leslie on guitar and vocals for the remaking of this song making it a new classic! Also joining Todd and the band on the new disc is Susan Cowsill and Mary Hawkins. Todd's songs have been covered by a diverse range of artist such as, Deborah Coleman, Larry McCray, Faith Hill & Stevie Nicks.
SUAVEK ZANIESIENKO started studying
music at the age of 6. He learned how to play bass guitar when he was 14.
In his early twenties, Suavek played in bands which varied in styles from
rock, jazz to country music. Between the years of 1979-1985, Suavek
studied classical music in Olsztyn Music School in Poland, where he
graduated from double bass class. During that time he'd played,
periodically in the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1988, Suavek
visited the USA, taking lessons from one of the best bass teachers in NYC,
Patrick Pfeiffer. He finally moved permanently to US in 1990 and lived in
New York, where he played with variety of bands. Since 2001 he's lived in
Eastern PA. Suavek received awards for Best Bass Guitar Player in the
Lehigh Valley Music Awards, 2006 and 2008. He joined Wolfe in April
2007.
Dave Hollingsworth III / drums Todd Wolfe Band, Poughkeepsie Live
http://www.myspace.com/toddwolfemusic
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