Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King

Fat Man's Shine Parlor

2015-04-08

The twin-guitar attack of Smokin’ Joe Kubek and BNois King has remained relatively unchanged over their 25 year long partnership: Kubek plays down and dirty electric guitar leads while King most often plays jazzy rhythm riffs on a hollow-body Gibson that add texture to the mix. Locked together in song, the two refuse to simply repeat the boogies and shuffles that make up so much of the blues. Instead, they play blues that is infused with both rock and jazz not unlike the recent pairing between Gov’t Mule and John Scofield, Sco-Mule. This set, which reunites them with the Blind Pig label, finds them laying down 12 original tunes that rattle with regret about a one-night stand gone one night too long, "Got My Heart Broken", explore the despair of being unable to proclaim love yet not wanting to be alone, "Don’t Want To Be Alone", and lament an encounter with a woman who looks like a million dollars when you don’t have a dime, "Crash and Burn". Elsewhere, the focus turns to airline luggage fee rip offs and TSA induced indignities, "How Much", and the need for just the right side dish to make things right on the double entendre laden "Cornbread". King’s earnest, almost pleading, vocal style adds a sense of conviction whether he’s pleading for forgiveness, "Done Got Caught Blues", or for her to give in to his advances, "One Girl By My Side". While great guitar riffs abound throughout, "Brown Bomba Mojo" and "Headed for Ruin" feature two of the disc’s more extended jams and "Lone Star Lap Dance" is an instrumental that allows each of their different styles and tones to shine. This disc joins a long line of great releases by these two bluesmen. SMITTY

review by Mark