Blues Revue
The Electric Rag Band
The Electric Rag Band
ERB 1000
This Oklahoma blues trio has drawn its inspiration from some of
classic blues reperoire of the 1920s and 30s, and for their first CD it's
picked some of the finest examples of the exuberant rags and blues. You cannot
accurately reproduce classic solo blues with an electric guitar, electric
bass and drums, and the Electric Rag Band knows this. In this self released
CD, the band reinterprets these classics for the end of the 20th century,
But doing it with with respect and affection, and thats good.
The CD starts out with a Lonnie Johnson-Eddie Lang classic from
1929, "Bull Frog Moan," and the same piece ends the CD at the 14th cut.
In between there's Casey Bill Welden's "Guitar Swing" (1937) and "Just as
Well Let Her Go" (1936), and two of Blind Blake's pieces, "Do That Messin'
Around" (1926) and his "Rope Strechin' Blues" (1931). They do Blind Willie
McTell's "Delia's Gone" and three by Blind Boy Fuller, "You Gotta Change
Your Mind" (1935), " Jivin' Woman Blues" (1938), and "Rag Momma Rag" (1935).
Add to that Kokomo Arnold's "Dozen's," which they call "Twelves," Pink
Anderson's "Tip out Tonight," and a reproduction of a really early Roy Smeck
Hawaiian slide tune, "Laughing Rag" (1935) and you've got a full range of
great tunes to inspire you.
These songs, for the most part, are by many of the greatest East
Coast ragtime finger-picking blues artists, and the original performances
are often on a virtuoso level. The covers of Lonnie Johnson, Casey Bill
Weldon and the Hawaiian slide tune of Roy Smeck work well and sound fine
on the electric. However, to my ears, an electric guitar does not sound
quite right in an intricate finger-picking Blake or Blind Boy Fuller song.
In these cases, the lead-guitarist, Pat Cook, plays his electric in a style
that strongly suggests the original runs and performances without attempting
to reproduce the finger-picking pieces note for note. The band does manage
to capture the feeling of the music, and that's what is important. It works.
BOB ZEUSCHNER
Living Blues
The Electric Rag Band
The Electric Rag Band
(ERB 1000)
A semi-acoustic two guitar and drums trio that revels in the prewar
blues, the Electric Rag Band covers Lonnie Johnson, Blind Blake, Casey Bill
Weldon, Pink Anderson, Blind Boy Fuller, and Willie McTell. While they
obviously love their music, they don't take it too seriously; as a result,
this disc is a lot of fun. If you haven't forgotten that these old blues
were meant for good times, this is a band to check out.-PRA