Black Joe Lewis

Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears are an eight-piece outfit of twenty-something devotees of hard blues-funk. Fronted by young guitarist and soul shouter Joe Lewis, these talented newcomers on the Austin, Texas, music scene have unleashed one of the toughest, rawest funk EP's to come across this reviewers desk in many years. After thrilling audiences at the 2007 South-By-Southwest Music Festival and a recent West Coast tour with Spoon, Lewis and his crew impress on six screaming soul tracks that sound like a mix between James Brown, Lil' Joe Washington, and Sam Cooke. Howlin' Wolf's "Evil" gets a wicked, horn-fused funk treatment here, followed by the cool, grooving instrumental "Humpin'." The entire setlist is uncompromising, undeniably funky stuff, and well-deserving of a wider listenership outside the Lone Star State. - Living Blues Magazine

If you've been wondering what's become of Black Joe Lewis since he burst on the scene about four years ago, listen up: Gone is the Cool Breeze band, and on are the Honey Bears. The new EP showcases his punky Texas blues by way of Red River and funkifies it with a soulful horn section, sending Lewis well on his way to being Soul Brother No. 1 in Austin. - Austin Chronicle

Right on schedule, around 10 p.m. surprise openers Black Joe Lewis of Austin took the stage to a crowd that built steadily to capacity over their 45-minute set. The eight-person band, fronted by former Round Rock High student Lewis, warmed up the crowd with a mix of funky soul, doo-wop and blues. From the tight sound of the horn and rhythm section, I was shocked to discover from Lewis that the band had only been playing in its current incarnation for about three months. While the tie-clad band definitely held their own, the highlight of the set was amazing Lewis, whose blazing guitar licks played sidekick to an amazing set of pipes that echoed sounds of James Brown and Sam Cooke. - Austin-American Statesman