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Bonneville Barons

Bonneville Barons (the)

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the Bonneville Barons - Cure What Ails You
the Bonneville Barons – Cure What Ails You

Bonneville Barons (the) – Cure What Ails You

Western Star Records – WSRC036
Pretty Penny – Long Distance Baby – Heart O Mine – Family Tree Rag – Forget Me – Broken Man – Wait For Me – Fool For You – Whale Tail – Beautiful Memory Of Mine – Unlucky Blues – Mexican Wildfire – Birmingham Jail

One of today’s best and most original band returns with a 13 track killer album. It kicks off with “Pretty Penny”, written like the other 12 songs by Chris Wilkinson; a great jazzabilly number with clever lyrics that could come from the pen of Sage Guyton. “Unlucky Blues” comes in a similar vein. “Long Distance Baby” sees the dynamic duo with a fiddle for a full western flavour and features nice yodel too. “Heart Of Mine” can be described as Buddy Holly meets the Hot Club Of Cowtown. Yann’s powerful slap bass has nothing to envy to Jake Erwin or Kevin Smith. “Family Tree Rag” is a bith smoother and features a nice Merle Travis guitar part. Mark Kemlo of Rimshots and Bill Fadden fame guests on drums on “Forget Me” a wild rockabilly number with pounding drums, heavy guitar and distorted voice. Woa ! Kemlo is also present on the powerful rockin’ Mariachi instrumental “Mexican Wildfire” with trumpet. “Broken Man” is another occasion to hear the way their voices and instruments perfectly blend together. “Wait For Me”, a slow and mellow number with sparse backing is another side of Wilkinson’s talent as a songwriter and a singer. “Birmingham Jail” is in the same style, but the song sounds like a XVIIIth century traditionnal tune. “Fool For You” is pure Boneville Barons style : solid slap bass, catchy melody, good guitar riff and fine vocals.
The production work is fantastic : clean but not sterile, and the booklet, that includes the lyrics, is very well designed. The result is a must have record in a beautiful object.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Zazou Cowboys (The )

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zazouThe Zazou Cowboys – Song Folio

[2012]
Hot Wing Stomp – Do You Ever Think Of Me – Lonesome Flame – I Could Be Your Cowboy – I’m That Fool -Queensize Matrimony Blues – She Sets A Place For Two – Loud Mouth – Happy Trails – Rangin’
Bonus on CD:Daydream In F – Dedicated To You – Heartstring Rhumba – Fairweather Lover – Southward Bound – Little Flower – Red’s Boogie
The Zazou Cowboys are an exciting combo formed in 2008 by Chris Wilkinson and Yann Mahdjoub aka the Bonneville Barons with Willy Briggs (Lynette Morgan and the Blackwater Valley Boys, the Tennessee Rhythm Riders, the Radio Ramblers) and Rebecca Willson. Chris and Willy trade licks on guitars and occasional steel (both sing too), Rebecca adds subtle swing violin at time then switch to hot fiddle while Yann provides the backbone with his string bass.
The music they play is perfectly described by their name. The jazz and wild elements of the Zazou culture mixed with the western ballads of the late 30’s / early 40’s and of course a good dose of western swing. They releleased their debut album last year and it’s a killer both musically and visually. It comes in a nice limited to 1000 edition 12″ vinyl LP with gatefold sleeve that includes the CD.