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George Kilby Jr. and his long-time co-conspirators The Road Dogs – along with some special guests – have crafted a six-single collection of Kilby’s brand of “rough-cut American music.” The result is Kilby’s new Six Pack, packed with tunes as rootsy as the art on the album’s cover (created by his wife Katy Keen, by the way). The mix is tasty; both eclectic enough to catch your musical palate no matter how you like your tunes, but bound together by Kilby’s trademark real-as-hell flavorings.
Kilby’s reflective “When the People Sang” has a little Doug Sahm vibe going on, thanks to Road Dog Neil Thomas’ lovely accordion work (complemented by some sweet fiddle from guest buddy Tim Carbone). Kilby and guest pickers Brian Shafer and Joe Andrews strap on their six strings for the nicely-crafted “Something I Can’t Find” – one for the headphones, for sure. “Cro-Magnon” will make you smile and make you think, with Road Dogs Arturo Baguer (bass) and Eric Halvorson (drums) laying down a sunny Sunday afternoon rhythm highway for Kilby’s darn-tootin’ ruminations to roll along on.
“You Never See The Hand Throw The Stone” is stripped-to-the-marrow blues with Kilby and his acoustic guitar backed by Phil Wiggins’ honking/wailing/chugging/moaning blues harp. It’s a cool showcase for Kilby’s fingerpicking work – but pay attention to the words. One trademark of Kilby’s originals is the use of a deceptively down-to-earth approach to lay some deeper-than-you-may-think wisdom on the table. Carbone’s fellow Railroad Earther Andy Goessling adds some gentle guitar to Kilby’s take on “I Love You In Brooklyn”, a tune penned by Neil Thomas.
The biggest brain-spinner on Six Pack is Kilby’s reworking of the Cream classic “Sunshine Of Your Love”. Reborn as a psychedelic back porch stomp, this version of “Sunshine” is what John Fogerty and the gang would’ve jammed into much later on the same afternoon described in “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”. (Dinosaurs a’strollin’ and everything.) Halvorson’s ratta-tat-tat drums fire things up, with Kilby’s guitar and Andy Goessling’s dobro conversing during the opening moments. It’s not until Baguer’s bass jumps in and the band settles into the groove that Goessling hints at what’s about to happen, doling out a greasy/gritty dobro’d version of the tune’s signature riff. There’s just time enough for you to wonder, “Wait – is that …” before Kilby drawls out the opening lines: “It’s getting’ near dawn/When lights close their tired eyes …” It’s a nothing-but-fun romp, with Goessling laying down some just-right banjo and acoustic guitar work behind the wicked dobro – and Kilby helping to shake the planks with some nice-and-nasty electric guitar twang. (Check out the little picking party they take off on around the 2:10 mark.)
In lesser hands, an album such as Six Pack might come across as the work of someone trying to find their niche; with George Kilby Jr. and company, you realize these are simply six of the flavors available from the same very talented tap.
Mug raised.
*****
Brian Robbins keeps a six pack on ice at www.brian-robbins.com – preferably Ballantine Ale in the long-necked bottles with the word games under the caps.
- Jambands.com/ Brian Robbins
Watching George Kilby Jr. in action reminded us of Frank Zappa conducting the Mothers Of Invention. He is a slick pro on the bandstand and you can catch him regularly at B.B. King’s Blues Club in NYC. His band has frequently backed blues legend Pinetop Perkins for over a decade and he is just as affable offstage as he is on. But Kilby ain’t just the blues, his music is an amalgam of the finest sounds in American Roots music. From down-home blues to rockabilly to gritty rock, it’s hard to keep Kilby down. His music is never boring and with the help of accordian player Neil Thomas one could hear similarities to the Levon Helm band.
Kilby’s album, Road Dog’s Holiday, puts one in the Jim Beam, honky-tonkin’ state of mind and you can just picture yourself surrounded by barroom smoke, cowboys and pretty girls — especially if your drinking a bottle of ol’ Jim Beam. Road Dog’s Holiday includes an all star cast of players from Blues Traveler, Loup Garou Zydeco, the Tom Tom Club, Boz Scaggs, Bob Geldoff band and many more.
And just when you are in that mellow country state-of-mind, Kilby surprises you once again with “The Possum Song” a boogie- woogie track with guest star Pinetop Perkins that’ll make you want to get up on the table and do the jitterbug.
We also had the pleasure of meeting Kilby’s wife, Katy Keen, whose wonderful illustrations grace Swatches round the world. The wise-cracking catholic girl from England would make Sharon Osbourne blush and she was such a delight, we almost forgot that we were hanging backstage with Pinetop and Gary U.S. Bonds.
So the next time you find yourself in NYC, look up George Kilby Jr. A splendid time is guaranteed for all! - Seventh Hour Blues Magazine
Discography
Singer-guitarist George Kilby Jr, who plays what he calls “rough- cut American music,” announces a February 5, 2013, release date for Six Pack. Which includes special guests from Railroad Earth, as well as Phil Wiggins (Cephas and Wiggins) and Jono Manson, a member of Blues Traveler’s “extended family.” On Six Pack, Kilby eschews the traditional 10-12 song album format; instead creating a collection of six singles, each one exploring a different facet of his influences and manifesting in his contemporary roots sound. He moves gracefully from “jamgrass” to Delta blues, making stops along the way at singer/songwriter, roots-rock and folk music.
Purchase the new album "Six Pack" right on over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/six-pack-ep/id592890853
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Bio
I’ve written plenty of bios before, but always in the 3rd person, with lines like “Kilby was born in Alabama…” and “he lived with Pinetop Perkins in Chicago…” Instead, let me tell you a few things that will keep you reading, rather than list a bunch of records, influences, gigs, etc. That stuff gets old.
I play rough-cut American roots music. It’s about writing great songs, not keeping up great traditions. My lyrics cut to the heart of things with no apologies; and I break any rule I need to, so the music speaks directly to the people.
Blues was, and is important to me, but the folks who “keep the blues alive” make me mad as hell just as often as not. Pinetop Perkins probably taught me more about playing music than anyone. But in all the years I knew Pine, and in all the gigs and records we played on together, he never said one word about the blues. He just did it. And it was not because he was black, or sharecropped, or played with Muddy, or wore lime green suits, or any of that crap. It is because he played the truth, and never tried to be anything that he wasn’t. I try to re-learn that lesson everyday; and I will be ever in Pine’s debt.
I grew up listening to the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynrd, and Outlaw Country. If you listen, you can hear them in my music. But hopefully, you will mostly hear me. And there are some diverse ingredients in that stew. Here are a few. Travel: living briefly everywhere I could, just to soak it up – Paris as a busker, New Orleans while I had a roadie gig with the Beach Boys, NYC as dog-walker and short order cook, and Princeton New Jersey as a college student. Literature: everything from “Conan the Barbarian” to "The Teachings of Buddah."
I suppose I should mention that I play gigs in lots of different settings and in lots of different places. You might find me with a Telecaster at a festival in Europe as easy as with an acoustic guitar in a small club in Manhattan. Music marketing professionals advise you to always have the same band, sound, and even guitar, so folks can “brand you.” Makes some sense, but doesn’t work for me. I suppose my attention span is too short; or maybe I just cant resist the lure of different kinds of music.
So there you have it, or some of it. The songs will tell you the rest.
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OK, here is another one if some of you journalists want facts and dates.
Born and raised in Anniston Alabama, George’s earliest musical memory is listening to his uncle play Hank Williams songs. As a teenager, he immersed himself in the Southern Rock of the Allman Brothers and was deeply influenced by “outlaw” country music. At Princeton University, he led “The George Dickel Band” to New York’s legendary Lonestar Café, where he shared the stage with Albert King, Etta James, and James Brown.
While touring in support of his first EP, he met Pinetop Perkins and lived with his family in Chicago in 1985. Then, after a couple of years as busker in Paris, returned to live in New Orleans, where he met and collaborated with Coco Robicheaux with whom he still works occasionally. George tapped Pinetop, R&B legend Rosco Gordon, & New Orleans veteran Charles "Honeyboy" Otis to work with him on his first CD. By a strange twist of fate, George landed a roadie gig with The Beach Boys and moved briefly to LA where the record was cut. “Pinetop and Friends” was released and shortly after George went to New York. There, he worked extensively with Dylan sideman and stride pianist extraordinaire, Howie Wyeth. He later took a job with Omega / Vanguard Records and produced Pinetop’s seminal “Portrait of a Delta Bluesman”, which won the W.C. Handy Award, Blues Album of the Year. Kilby’s third effort with Pinetop, “Live at 85” (Shanachie ‘99), is a red hot live CD which features George and his powerhouse horn section. Also in ’99, George’s original sound was finally captured on “Spell it Out” (indie, out of print), which was instrumental in supporting several tours of Europe. A subsequent self-titled CD, “George Kilby Jr” (’02, Baltazar, Denmark) is still available and contains much of the same material.
In 05, he wrote several songs with blind New Orleans Piano wizard Henry Butler and backed Henry on one tour of Europe, which got rave reviews. George’s next record, “Road Dog’s Holiday” ‘06, took his sound closer to his Alabama roots, and gave the band national and international radio exposure. The current CD, “Let the Melody Live On”, features Railroad Earth personnel, Pinetop, and members of the Tom Tom Club and Loup Garou Zydeco. George’s songwriting reaches a high point on this record; and the vocal and instrumental chops of the band shine brighter than ever.
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