Thursday, October 22, 2009

Rufus HUFF - Rufus HUFF 2009


Rufus HUFF - Rufus HUFF 2009
Label: Music Avenue

Blues

Does hearing classic band names like, Cream, Montrose, Mothers Finest, Gov’t Mule, Jeff Beck Group, Led Zeppelin, and ZZ Top bring a smile to your face? Then do I have a band for you named Rufus Huff. This band plays a style of music that blends, the Blues with classic and southern flavored rock to achieve one kick-ass sound.
Rufus Huff came together from impromptu jam sessions in 2005. The four member band is made up of, Jarrod England (vocals), Greg Martin (guitars), Dean Smith (bass guitar), and Chris Hardesty (drums and percussion).
Some of those names might sound familiar to you because Greg Martin is a Grammy winning guitarist and founding member of the country rock group Kentucky HeadHunters. I first heard the HeadHunters music back when their hit song “Dumas Walker” was out. They appeared on the Ralph Emery show, “Nashville Now”, on what use to be TNN (The Nashville Network).
Seeing their name got me curious so I searched the Internet for their website and was surprised to see that the band is still performing live. For some reason I had thought that they had broken up years back. If you want to check them out here’s a link to their website, http://www.kentuckyheadhunters.com.
Anyway, back to Rufus Huff and their release. Besides the Kentucky HeadHunters connection, you’ll also find band members, Dean Smith and Chris Hardesty from the defunct band Supafuzz. Sandra & Tonya Dye also get credit on the release for their additional vocals on tracks 4 and 8.
For those of you curious about the band’s name, since it isn’t the name of any of the group’s members, it comes from two obscure Blues men named, Whistlin’ Rufus and Luther Huff.
The guys in Rufus Huff have the perfect chiseled, weathered look that’s needed if you want to have any credibility playing The Blues and Southern Rock. With just one look at the cover of this release I could tell that this band was going to play some smoking hot music and I wasn’t disappointed.
Hailing from Glasgow, Kentucky these guys really mix it up with straight up Southern rockers, smoking Blues, and the occasional funk and soulful track. The band says that their music is played through a vintage Marshall stack on 10!
This self-titled release features 9 original songs that are for the most part based on true life type stories taken from the band’s Kentucky heritage, along with two famous Blues standards, “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,” and “I Ain’t Superstitious.”
I also have to give props to the band for the CDs booklet’s liner notes. They are some of the best I’ve read at giving details of the stories that are behind each song.
Usually I like to pick out several songs to highlight in my review but this release is packed with good songs from start to finish. So here are my brief thoughts on all of them.
The band kicks it into high gear right from the start with track-1, “13 Daze,” a song that the band says was inspired by bands like, Montrose and early ZZ Top. The song tells the story of a jilted lover, who doesn’t take it too well, with the woman ending up dead.
“High On Heaven Hill,” was partly inspired by a fire at the Heaven Hill Distillery in 1996. At the end of the song the band simulates the sound of fire burning via guitar sounds.
“Run Rufus Run,” is another of those southern story telling songs centered on running moonshine in the mountains of Kentucky.
“El Lago,” is a style changer for the release, going from rock to more of a soulful funky sound.
“Shirley’s”, is the story of an on and off love and a meddling mother.
“Gotta Have Her Name,” is the bizarre story of a guy who watches hookers while drinking at a bar. He starts stalking one of them with the mission of finding out her last name. The song has a 60’s classic rock sound.
“Good Morning Little School Girl” is one of the Blues songs covered on this release. The song was recorded as you hear it on the first take, with no overdubs.
“It’s Alright” deals with the struggles and pain that often comes with love. The song has a soulful vibe that gets a little bit psychedelic in the middle of it.
“The Bottom,” is a song that the band says is a soulful funk, rock, tribute to Willie Smith and the infamous hangout named, ‘Bottom’ that use to be found in Bowling Green, KY.
“Hain’t No Good Life,” a love gone bad type song. The band says that when neighbors and in-laws visit unannounced, playing this song loud will insure an early departure.
“I Ain’t Superstitious”, was written by the late great Willie Dixon. It’s the second of the Blues song covers. This song happened live in the studio during a jam session. The band then went back later and added in some extra guitars. For anyone that hears the song and wonders about the guitar effects found on the solos they come from an original Ampeg Scrambler, a rare effects pedal made famous by Jim McCarty of Cactus, and Ronnie Montrose.
“Funky Junk,” is a short jam instrumental that wraps things up.
Wrapping up my review if you like your music filled with great, and I mean GREAT guitar work you need to
get this CD!
By C.W. Ross.
**
Greg Martin - Guitar
Chris Hardesty - Drums, percussion
Dean Smith - Bass Guitar
Jarrod England - Vocals
Sandra Dye - Vocals
Tonya Dye - Vocals

01. 13 Daze 4:52
02. High On Heaven Hill 4:37
03. Run Rufus Run 5:43
04. El Lago 6:21
05. Shirley's 5:13
06. Gotta Have Her Name 5:54
07. Good Morning Little School Girl 5:23
08. It's All Right 5:49
09. The Bottom 6:24
10. Hain't No Good Life 4:48
11. I Ain't Superstitious 2:49
12. Funky Junk 1:40
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