2019 – Big Eye Records
By Phillip Smith; April, 6, 2019
The new disc, Drop
the Hammer from Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith & the House Bumpers has
really caught my attention. The son of
the late great Grammy Award-winning bluesman Willie “Big Eyes” Smith ,
Kenny grew up in the same Chicago house Muddy Waters once lived. With
this new album Smith reserves a few songs to pay homage to traditional
blues. Then he steps out of the box and
creates his own universe of sound as he explores the boundaries of contemporary
blues. Smith steers this ship
from in-front of the mic and behind the drums.
The rest of his cutting-edge ensemble, The House Bumpers consists
of Billy Flynn and Ari Seder on guitar, Omar Coleman on
harmonica, Felton Crews on bass, and Luca Chiellini on piano. Smith also enlists heavy-hitters Greg
Guy (son of Buddy Guy), Sugar Blue, Greg Guy, and Nelson
Strange, along with vocalists Kimberly Johnson, Dana Gordon, and
Andrea Miologos.
“Head Pounder” kicks the album off with a slow-burning,
multi-layered North Mississippi-esque rhythm.
It’s laced with blasts of harp, slide guitar, and the unique sound of sitar
courtesy of Flynn. Smith’s
children, Mae, Clara, and Teddy contribute accompanying
vocals to “Hey Daddy”, a happy and heartwarming original about parenthood. Kenny drops a payload of deliciously-deep
psychedelic funk on title-track “Drop the Hammer”. The groove is so powerful, its hard to escape
its gravitational force. I also get immersed
in the funky trance blues Smith and Guy create in “What in the
World” with Seder, Crews and Chellini. I love the way “Puppet on a String” opens from
the kit. This is another one that absolutely
cooks, in a vintage Elvis “A Little Less Conversation” kind of way. The enticing groove on “One Big Frown” sizzles
with Strange on guitar. Johnson’s
powerful and soulful vocals take command.
Kenny Smith has certainly created a noteworthy album
with Drop the Hammer. It is one hundred percent fresh and baptized in
the blues.
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For more information about the artist, visit this
website: https://beedyeyes.com
