The CD Woodbury Band "Monday Night!"
Wide Willie Productions LLC
2013
Ok, so over the last few months, Maria and I have been attending shows at The Oxford Saloon in Snohomish, WA, and it has become one of our favorite get-away spots for great food and awesome music (having seen both The Randy Oxford Band and The Chris Eger Band there in December alone!), so when the weekend comes around (and work doesn't have me dragging my butt in on a Saturday morning) I like to see who's playing and try to catch a show. On January 17th a band was coming to the Oxford, one that I'd heard about for months but haven't had a chance to catch yet (and one, whose lead singer is on my Facebook friends list, d'oh!) and so..... A night of great food and (hopefully) awesome music was in store!
Wide Willie Productions LLC
2013
Ok, so over the last few months, Maria and I have been attending shows at The Oxford Saloon in Snohomish, WA, and it has become one of our favorite get-away spots for great food and awesome music (having seen both The Randy Oxford Band and The Chris Eger Band there in December alone!), so when the weekend comes around (and work doesn't have me dragging my butt in on a Saturday morning) I like to see who's playing and try to catch a show. On January 17th a band was coming to the Oxford, one that I'd heard about for months but haven't had a chance to catch yet (and one, whose lead singer is on my Facebook friends list, d'oh!) and so..... A night of great food and (hopefully) awesome music was in store!
I'd say something about The CD Woodbury Band living up to the hype, but...I hadn't really heard any. Not a bad thing, just that (as CD mentioned while talking with him) there are so many shows, so many bands in the area that it's hard to choose, and some fall through the cracks. (Rough paraphrase.) What I had seen around the area was their CD cover for "Monday Night!" (<--- that one, cover by Anthony Waters), one that I, as an artist, think is pretty cool! Anyway, back to the gig...
As I implied, said, mentioned in some form or another, I hadn't heard The CD Woodbury Band before, so I wasn't sure what to expect other than probably a pretty cool blues band. From the opening notes of the first song, yes...CD & Co were definitely a pretty cool blues band - a reeeeally cool blues band! Holy *bleep* this band had the joint jumpin' from the first before the first verse was done! A good dose of ZZ Top groove, deep south blues, funk, jazz... Oh, my my...what have I waited for? Four hours later, we were closing the bar dancing & jamming to these guys. To say that I found a new favorite band is putting it mildly. (Note to my close friends in bands, this does not imply that I don't love you guys anymore!)
CD & Co is comprised of five members, with three taking vocal responsibilities: guitarist CD Woodbury, drummer Don Montana, and jack-of-all-trades Mike Marinig (I'm not kidding, this guy had enough instruments on stage to supply a separate band!); keyboardist Chris Kliemann and Mike Fish, on bass, round out this awesome band. CD had mentioned to me about working with Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method ("Gather 'Round"), as well as others, and Don, Chris & Mike are the tight rhythm section of what once was Tim Casey and the Bluescats...as for Mike, I'm not sure where he came from -- but what a find!
"Monday Night!" is a ten-song powder-keg ready to explode from the moment the first song sets its sights on go! Lots of deep dow, dirty blues, jazz fusion, funk, lots of thump! "Traditional" blues with an edge all their own, I can't even begin... It's kinda like, ok, yeah, maybe some Stevie Ray stylings, phrasings, whatnot, but lots of chunk and slam thrown in. Lyrics that bring on the party and keep it coming ("These Blues Keep Me Right Here," "Ring-A-Ding," "Mean Jenny," "Two Wheels" and the title track "Monday Night!" with its extra serving of funk for added pleasure) are meshed with life's realities, but not in a melodramatic way ("Pawn Shop," "Burn the Bridge"), a touch of Steely Dan-ish-ness ("Pleasure's All Mine") and is brought to a close with the sobering, soulful "SauBall Blues" -- a song that ends things quite nicely after all that raucous. I've played this CD a couple times in the car this week, and once at home while writing this up...and it's safe to say, this is going back into the car on the disc changer!
One thing I keep thinking when I hear this disc is that The CD Woodbury Band and The Randy Oxford Band should do a show together -- heck, for that matter, tour! Double-bill the sucker, and bring along Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method to open the show (but allow Polly enough of a breather so she can gear up for Oxford)! That, right there, would be an incredible night of blues, funk & soul!
But I digress... This is about CD & Co, not some fantasy-football game of local blues faves.
CD & Co are very active in the Puget Sound area, and I suggest getting to a show and also grabbing this disc! The combo of the two is not to be missed. On February 1st, they will be playing The REC Room in Everett, WA, for an evening of music and live video taping (tickets are available here ~ and yes, Maria & I will be there)!
TSSutherland
1.25.14
As I implied, said, mentioned in some form or another, I hadn't heard The CD Woodbury Band before, so I wasn't sure what to expect other than probably a pretty cool blues band. From the opening notes of the first song, yes...CD & Co were definitely a pretty cool blues band - a reeeeally cool blues band! Holy *bleep* this band had the joint jumpin' from the first before the first verse was done! A good dose of ZZ Top groove, deep south blues, funk, jazz... Oh, my my...what have I waited for? Four hours later, we were closing the bar dancing & jamming to these guys. To say that I found a new favorite band is putting it mildly. (Note to my close friends in bands, this does not imply that I don't love you guys anymore!)
CD & Co is comprised of five members, with three taking vocal responsibilities: guitarist CD Woodbury, drummer Don Montana, and jack-of-all-trades Mike Marinig (I'm not kidding, this guy had enough instruments on stage to supply a separate band!); keyboardist Chris Kliemann and Mike Fish, on bass, round out this awesome band. CD had mentioned to me about working with Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method ("Gather 'Round"), as well as others, and Don, Chris & Mike are the tight rhythm section of what once was Tim Casey and the Bluescats...as for Mike, I'm not sure where he came from -- but what a find!
"Monday Night!" is a ten-song powder-keg ready to explode from the moment the first song sets its sights on go! Lots of deep dow, dirty blues, jazz fusion, funk, lots of thump! "Traditional" blues with an edge all their own, I can't even begin... It's kinda like, ok, yeah, maybe some Stevie Ray stylings, phrasings, whatnot, but lots of chunk and slam thrown in. Lyrics that bring on the party and keep it coming ("These Blues Keep Me Right Here," "Ring-A-Ding," "Mean Jenny," "Two Wheels" and the title track "Monday Night!" with its extra serving of funk for added pleasure) are meshed with life's realities, but not in a melodramatic way ("Pawn Shop," "Burn the Bridge"), a touch of Steely Dan-ish-ness ("Pleasure's All Mine") and is brought to a close with the sobering, soulful "SauBall Blues" -- a song that ends things quite nicely after all that raucous. I've played this CD a couple times in the car this week, and once at home while writing this up...and it's safe to say, this is going back into the car on the disc changer!
One thing I keep thinking when I hear this disc is that The CD Woodbury Band and The Randy Oxford Band should do a show together -- heck, for that matter, tour! Double-bill the sucker, and bring along Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method to open the show (but allow Polly enough of a breather so she can gear up for Oxford)! That, right there, would be an incredible night of blues, funk & soul!
But I digress... This is about CD & Co, not some fantasy-football game of local blues faves.
CD & Co are very active in the Puget Sound area, and I suggest getting to a show and also grabbing this disc! The combo of the two is not to be missed. On February 1st, they will be playing The REC Room in Everett, WA, for an evening of music and live video taping (tickets are available here ~ and yes, Maria & I will be there)!
TSSutherland
1.25.14