Big Joe and the Dynaflows
"You Can't Keep A Big Man Down"
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" marks the 3rd release for
Big Joe And The Dynaflows on the Severn Record Label. Previous
Severn releases included "I'm Still Swingin" and "All Night Long".
"I'm Still Swingin" received a WAMA (Washington Area Music
Association) for "Best Blues Recording" in 1998.
Big Joe Maher's list of credits is said to be like a Who's Who, when
it concerns Jazz & Blues, after all he has been plying his trade now
for over 30 years. Joe started playing at an early age and with the
help of Col. Joe Carley, whom was the Director of the high school
Jazz band that he played in, he was quickly introduced to some of
the greats that were invited to sit in with him, such as, Clark
Terry, Urbie Green, Mudell Lowe, James Moody, and more. Not long
after high school he set out on his own, forming a Jazz Trio and
hitting the road, which soon saw him sharing the stage and backing
up a whole new batch of great musicians including "Jimmy
Witherspoon, Bullmoose Jackson, James "Thunderbird" Davis, Nappy
Brown, Otis Rush, Earl King", plus many more. His present band, Big
Joe And The Dynaflows, was formed in the late 80's, this after he
had already been performing in and acting as the manager for a 9
piece Swing band called "The Uptown Rhythm Kings". Also previous to
the creation of Big Joe And The Dynaflows, he was on board with the
great Tom Principato Band as Drummer.
"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 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) and was produced by Kevin McKendree and Big Joe
Maher.
"You Can't Keep A Big Man Down" 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 and quickly shows you why he is part
of Big Joe And The Dynaflows.
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 "You Can't Keep A Big Man
Down", 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" closes off with a nice Jerry
Lee Lewis sounding track called "What the Hell Were You Thinkin'?"
and features the magical piano work of Kevin McKendree. Kevin
McKendree also co-wrote that song.
"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.
Additional Info Including Link To Samples Here...
http://www.bluesundergroundnetwork.com/Big_Joe_And_The_Dynaflows_CD.html
Posted by
BUN007
at
11:26 AM
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Guitarist Rob
McNelley tends to kick off most of the cuts but
it ain't long before drummer Joe Big Bear Maher
slides in with a singing voice highly
reminiscent of the old R&B scene in its
streetcorner prime. He's shared the stage with
Otis Rush, Nappy Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon, and
many others, and that Harlem-at-night /
Manhattan-at-dawn frame of mind has worked its
way down into his soul. McNelley plays with a
Lightning Hopkins / Chuck Berry kind of approach
while Kevin McKendree and Dennis Taylor lend a
lounge atmosphere on organ and sax respectively.
Maher has a way with
period composition as well, having written or
co-written half the tunes on Big Man.
Property Line is classic 60s Baby,
Scratch My Back territory, this time with a
backyard squabble rather than a romantic tryst
front. Bill Campbell first keeps a spunky bass
hopping in the background, then lays back into
fat golden muted notes on cuts like Someday.
From there, the entire band falls together as
though fresh from happy hour, tipsily dyin' to
get back into the studio and dim evening
spotlight. The boys really get the git-down on
the classic Confessin' the Blues, the
sort of reading you'd hope to hear in any band
flanking Booker T & the MGs. Still,it is my
diagnosis that JM & the Dynaflows need to write
more as an ensemble because Face the Facts
is a tart, smart-ass, funky, slow jump number
that makes finger-snappin' a must. Thus, the
rolling barrel house of the closing cut,
What the Hell were You Thinkin'? wraps
everything up to boogie in the woogie, a ribald
taunt of consternation at a puzzling break-up,
the sort of thing the blues were invented for.
Track List:
- You
Can't Keep a Big Man Down (Joe
Maher)
- Bad
Case of Love (R. King)
-
Evangeline (Joe Maher)
-
Property Line (Maher / Maher)
-
Whatcha Gonna Do? (B. Wright)
-
Someday (Johnny Green)
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-
Confessin' the Blues (McShann /
Brown)
- Face
the Facts (Maher / Maher / Campbell
/ McNelly)
-
Supercharger(Joe Maher)
-
Nothin' but Trouble (Joe Maher)
- I'm
to Blame (J. McCracklin)
- What
the Hell were You Thinkin'? (McClinton
/ McKendree / Hambridge)
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Edited by: David N. Pyles
(dnpyles@acousticmusic.com)
|
Copyright 2011,
Peterborough Folk Music Society.
This review may be reprinted with prior
permission and attribution.
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Written by Edward F.
Nesta |
Big Joe Maher
and The Dynaflows
are back at it again with their latest
release
Big Joe and the Dynaflows - You Can't
Keep a Big Man Down,
which combines blues, jazz, Chicago
blues, a bit of New Orleans, Texas
blues, and more on this animated release
that sings about neighbors, cousins,
troubles, love, and survival.
Big Joe and the
Dynaflows - You Can't Keep a Big Man Down:
You Can't
Keep a Big Man Down; Bad Case of Love;
Evangeline; Property Line; Whatcha Gonna
Do?; Someday; Confessin' The Blues; Face The
Facts; Supercharger; Nothin' But Trouble;
I'm To Blame; What the Hell Were You Thinkin'?
Personnel: Big Joe Maher: Drums,
Vocals; Kevin McKendree: Piano, Organ; Bill
Campbell: Bass; Rob McNelley: Guitar; Dennis
Taylor: Saxophone
Big Joe and the Dynaflows - You Can't Keep a
Big Man Down was produced by
Big Joe Maher and
Kevin McKendree, and released on
the
Severn Record label. Big Joe
may not be a household name, but with the
release of Big Joe and the Dynaflows
- You Can't Keep a Big Man Down
that should be changing, at least for the
music lover of blues, jazz, Chicago blues,
the New Orleans sound, Kansas City jump, or
Texas blues; he does it all, and he does it
with style. This marks Big Joe's third
release on Severn Records, Inc.
and follows his 1998 release I'm
Still Swingin', and the 2000
release All Night Long.
The release opens with the title track
You Can't Keep a Big Man Down, written
by Big Joe, which was influenced from a
severe fall that he took in 2001 that almost
took this blues treasure permanently away.
But, he recovered with a fire that is heard
in his drumming and in his powerful and
passionate vocals. Drawing on the soul of
Chicago blues, the song lets you know that
you are in for a rip-roaring release, so let
your inhibitions go. The release follows
with the cover of B. B. King's Bad Case
of Love, and with Big Joe's Texas blues
arrangement, you have a rollicking
rendition.
Evangeline holds a special place in
Joe's portfolio of songs as he wrote the New
Orleans influenced track for his cousin's
daughter; the song has a scintillating swing
beat that will keep your attention.
Property Line is another Big Joe track
with a definite blues beat as he tells the
story of neighborly interaction that goes
beyond being friendly, "Cause if you cross
that line my friend, that's going to be your
behind."
The track Whatcha Gonna Do? (Billy
Wright) is jump blues at its best and the
band grabs a hold of the song with their
vibrant arrangement. Someday
(Johnny Green) slows it down, and through
Big Joe's deep and reverent vocals, coupled
with the blues, he casts the emotions of
despair and loneliness; a touching and
heartbreaking track. The track
Confessin' The Blues (Jay McShann) is a
perfect fit for Big Joe's vocal prowess, and
along with his drumming, this song has
vibrato, a swagger, and a lot of Kansas City
jump. Face the Facts is all about
Big Joe and the band as they get down and
dirty with this blues track that has Joe
singing "Face the facts, yeah brother you
gotta face the facts, you gotta face the
facts brother, you got to get up and go."
The track Supercharger gets things
rocking with a supercharged track that is
led by Big Joe's bigger than life drumming,
and the pulsating guitar work of Rob
McNelley. Nothin' But Trouble is a
track about "... trouble, I see nothing but
trouble, trouble and me. I see so much
heartache and trouble, how much more can
there be," it is the blues at its best with
a bit of arrogance tossed in.
The release also includes the cover I'm
to Blame (Jimmy McCraklin), a rousing
arrangement where Big Joe and the band let
it loose, and the track What the Hell
Were You Thinkin'? (Delbert McClinton,
Kevin McKendree, and Tom Hambridge), a
lively hopping beat lead by the keyboard
work of Kevin McKendree.
Websites where you can procure Big
Joe and the Dynaflows - You Can't Keep a Big
Man Down are
Severn Records,
Gallery of Sound,
Amazon,
Yahoo, and
CD Universe.
© February 2011. Luxury Experience.
www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights
reserved. |
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New York is LOVING
Big Joe & the Dynaflows newest
CD on Severn Records, All
Night Long.
Not only is the
record getting airplay on stations like WITR in Rochester,
Jeff
Harris of Bad Dog Blues likes the CD so much
he posted a great
review on his web site. www.baddogblues.com.
Big Joe
& The Dynaflows: All Night Long
(Severn
Records)
The swing fad may have come and gone but that doesn't seem to
phase Big Joe & The Dynaflows who've been laying down their
swinging brand of blues well before recent fads and hopefully will
long after.
All Night Long, like Big Joe's previous four records, swings
mightily and his love for vintage blues and R&B is evident in
every track. It's good too see someone keeping the flame alive for
classic R&B but don't mistake the music for a nostalgia act as
the music remains fresh and alive.
As a drummer, singer and bandleader Big Joe Maher is like a
latter day Roy Milton who shared the same duties for his band The
Solid Senders- one of the hottest West Coast jump bands of the 40's
and 50's. For Big Joe it's the Dynaflows, a tight swinging unit that
keep things jumping. Lending a helping hand are numerous guest stars
including label mate Benjie Porecki on Hammond Organ and Mark "Kaz"
Kazanoff, who's played with just about everybody, on tenor and
Baritone sax. "All Night Long" kicks things off in classic
jump blues mode, "It Really Breaks My Heart" is a
mid-tempo number in the same mode and the instrumental "Big
Nick" is solidly in the pocket featuring fine piano from John
Cocuzzi. Big Joe and the band aren't locked into one style and take
some interesting twists and turns on the New Orleans flavored
shuffle of "Down In Louisiana", the 50's stylings of
"My Baby's Tops", the late night groove on "Ham
Hocks" featuring some smoky organ and the humorous Louie Jordan
influenced "Third Class Citizen."
All Night Long is a sure fired party starter that'll keep
your party swinging from dusk til' dawn.
Jeff
Harris WITR, Rochester,
NY
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All Night Long
reviewed on Blues Bytes web site
With swing making
the massive resurgence it has the past few years, outfits such as Big
Joe & The Dynaflows are finding wider appreciative audiences for
the music that has found new life with listeners that were not even
born during it's heyday.
All Night Long is
the latest blend of traditional Kansas City jump blues, R&B and
just a taste of New Orleans swing masterfully stirred together with
the jiving vocals and shuffling drumming of Joe Maher to produce a
smooth wonderfully crafted album. If one didn't know better you would
think this recording was cut during the golden era of swing because of
it's totally original, yet nostalgic arrangements.
Nine of the album's
12 selections are original numbers written either by Big Joe himself
or by other members of The Dynaflows. The title track starts thing off
with a high energy dance piece tailor-made for cutting a rug or two,
and is followed by the stuttering samba-ish boogie of "Down In
Louisiana." Jimmy Witherspoon's "My Baby's Tops"
receives a hip shaking treatment and blazing tenor sax work from Derek
Huston that makes it irresistible to move to, as does the original
"Ham Hocks" featuring equally smoking sax notes from the
ever so talented Mark Kazanoff.
The lone
instrumental, "Mr. Nick," and the smoldering "Honey
Bee" are both dynamic grooves evoking memories of zoot suits and
swirling skirts on the dance floor. The current incarnation of The
Dynaflows are: Ivan Applerouth on guitars, John Cocuzzi burning up the
piano, Steve Potter on upright bass and Joe Stanley blowing sax.
Fellow label mate Benjie Porecki also lends his exquisite B3 talents
to two numbers.
If you're already
a fan of this very tight unit then this latest biscuit will more than
satisfy. If you're new to their sound, then All Night Long is a
terrific introduction. Pop this one in your player and make some room
because your feet may just take over.
---
Steve Hinrichsen
www.bluenight.com/BluesBytes
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