Mark Cook Band

Lets face it; aside from exceptional variations which prove the rule, the basic I-IV-V, 12-bar structure is how you play the blues. Doing that with conviction and class and working in some of those variations is what makes a blues musician noteworthy. Mark Cook is supremely noteworthy.

Blue Voodoo is his third outing. Atlanta-based Cook is the engineer, producer, songwriter and guitarist. The album is far from an ego trip, however. In fact, his generous spirit is on even greater display here than in times past as he showcases a stunning array of vocal and instrumental talent.

The collection kicks off with a churning ninth-chord figure that, after two bars, ushers in an eight-piece band on No One Likes A Good Woman (When Shes Down). There is a three-piece horn section, a B3 organ, furious harmonica by Steve Rusin, impeccably syncopated bass by Tom Young, and tenor sax by much-in-demand Atlanta session player Sam Skelton (who is also a name in jazz-education circles). The vocal is handled by Lola Gulley, who infuses every syllable with emotive authority and does overdubbed harmonies with herself on the refrains that impart the kind of recognizability that can make a blues a memorable song.

Cook and Skelton each take a chorus to begin the next number, Gonna Fly the Coop, a fast boogie. Cooks turn demonstrates what makes him such a gem on todays blues scene; its a balanced little solo excursion in which he trots out polished runs without being overly preoccupied with technique. Thats called mastery. Andrew Black contributes a saloon-shouter vocal that is straight out of the Big Joe Turner school.

All the shuffles and boogies are done with this kind of seasoned delivery, but it is the other kinds of tracks that make this a great blues record. Cooks stylistic range shows a respect for the whole heritage that has made his place in the blues possible.

Back Home To Tennessee shows us Cooks thorough understanding of the slide-guitar, Delta phase of the musics development. He does it with a contemporary frame of reference, however; this is no museum piece.

Likewise, Sunday Afternoon, a 58-second acoustic-guitar interlude, is full of delightfully bright voicings. It also deviates a little in structure. The inclusion of a bridge puts it in the old songster mold, a venerated part of blues tradition.

The title cut is an excursion into the cosmic frenzy that has been a legitimate part of blues evolution since the 1960s. Its not all effects-pedal bombast, however; Joey Huffmans ghostly B3 organ lines provide atmospheric balance.

The last cut on the album, Tomorrows Come And Gone, starts with a chorusy-sounding guitar intro full of pensively strummed lounge-trio-type chords. When the full band comes in on the minor-key progression, Cook waxes eloquent over the top of the proceedings with a line played on what must be an Ovation. His phrases are dramatic, ending with little ascents above the tonic. It almost sounds as Latin as it does bluesy. Larry Griffith and Heaven Davis handle the vocals, alternating verses. This is another number with a bridge, one that leads nicely to the relative major before the merciless turnaround takes us back to minor-scale territory. Cook takes a big arena-rock solo in the middle that stands in nice contrast to his Ovation flourishes.

Much is written about the current state of blues-based music. Observers of the scene wonder if there are any models for keeping it alive other than the archivist and the shredder. We have the recordings of Charley Patton and Mance Lipscomb to keep us aware of what this lineage sounded like in its infancy, and heaven knows there are more than enough sweaty Strat-slingers screaming away in Americas beer halls. What lovers of this music need to lend an ear to is the heartfelt and fully evolved worldview of Mark Cook. Hes pointing the way forward.
- Indie-Music.com