We should expect nothing less than a tongue-in-cheek album title from consistent BMA winners Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. Even the clenched fists from all four band members that grace the album cover may induce a chuckle or smile. This is a band that takes the term show business seriously. They play the blues hard, but they play with a flair, style, and an ear constantly attuned to entertainment, an attribute that many bands ignore or sublimate. This is not to say they don’t take musicianship seriously: Christoffer “Kid” Andersen is one of the most respected guitarists, multi-instrumentalists, and producers (Greaseland Studios) in the business, Lorenzo Farrell is a solid multi-instrumentalist too, and drummer Derrick “D’Mar” Martin’s legacy extends to his 17-year stint with Little Richard.
This band is at the vanguard of contemporary blues. They do nod to tradition, in this case covering an obscure one from Muddy Waters. Still, mostly they deliver Estrin’s fresh, original songs and the unexpected – there’s a Leonard Cohen cover here. In the process, the music stretches away from a steady diet of twelve-bar blues into rockabilly, rock n’ roll, and swinging jazz. This is their sixth album, and it packs their customary punch.
Estrin, in his deep baritone, sounds as menacing as he does with his clenched fist pose on the album. The band opens with a foot stomper, Farrell’s organ swirling through the funky bass line laid down by legendary Jerry Jemmott, who does so on six tracks. The Sons of Soul Revivers (James, Walter, and Dwayne Morgan) lift the chorus in the first of their four appearances. These same guests contribute to the rock steady title track, The Sons inevitably coloring it with gospel strains that mesh well with Estrin’s wailing blues harp. Beyond the stage antics and fancy clothes, Estrin is a skilled songwriter, willing to tackle serious subjects, too, as in the vexing song about addiction, “The Circus Is Still in Town.” The Leonard Cohen song that Estrin wishes he had written is “Everybody Knows,” and somehow, his low register voice seems even lower here in deference to Cohen. The Sons stamp the chorus, and Estrin’s harmonica hits the mark on this lyrically rich, provocative tune. The blues get deep on Estrin’s “I Finally Hit Bottom” with stinging guitar from Andersen, in-your-face organ from Farrell, and the return of Jemmott. Muddy Waters’ shuffle, the testosterone-infused “Diamonds At Your Feet,” is a tour-de-force for Estrin’s harmonica, with Andersen and Farrell delivering mightily as well.
Estrin’s humor is on full display in “911,” ‘the collective band penned, cleverly titled, jazzy swinging instrumental “Sack O’ Kools,” the punchy, chromatic harp workout of “Learn to Lose,” and the West Coast-styled shuffle “I Ain’t Worried About Nothin’.” Finally, we get a slow, simmering talking blues on “Time For Me to Go,” Estrin’s voice prominent in the mix before nodding to Andersen for a blistering but succinct guitar excursion. Estrin puts an emphatic cap on it with his harp and it would make for a perfect closer. Instead, these guys have one more, the blurry, hip “Whatever Happened to Dobie Strange” with Andersen on a vintage ARP synth. It’s a comedy set to music with a five-person chorus of voices, Charlie Musselwhite among them.
Rick Estrin and the Nightcats have been together now for fifteen years, continuing to create fresh material, keeping the music varied, impactful, and fun, no small feat. This is as strong as any they’ve done, taking its place alongside 2012’s One Wrong Turn.
