Into Something

The Howlers

Reviewed by Diane Wells

How can you NOT like a CD that begins with a song by Luther Sylvester Allison (“Walking Papers”)?? Seattle “Bluesboss” Dennis Dudley referred me to this band specifically because of a strong similarity he heard between this band and my Toronto favourite, Coldsweat.

Dennis drew a comparison between Coldsweat vocalist Anthony Salvatore and Howlers vocalist “Tuck” Glenn Foster, which I sort of agree with, but what IS ironic is that I had suggested to Mr. Salvatore quite a while ago that he learn the lyrics to Luther Allison’s “Cherry Red”. I found Mr. Salvatore’s his voice to be every bit as powerful and gutsy as Luther’s (but he STILL hasn’t learned that song yet, probably because he’s too busy writing up his own!).

“Tuck” has such a versatile voice, he could cover just about anyone, but his voice is exceptionally suited to a smoother T-Bone Walker/Tom Lavin (Powder Blues) tone - and speaking of Mr. Walker, he covers that blues gentleman’s “Glamour Girl” to a “T”! On “What Have I Done Wrong”, his vocal delivery even took on a Dino Valenti (Quicksilver Messenger Service) quality. Like Mr. Valenti, another musician who had not fared so well in the U.S. army was Samuel Maghett (a.k.a. Magic Sam), who is also paid tribute to on the aforementioned “What Have I Done Wrong”, as well as “You Belong to Me”.

There’s definitely a “cloned” aspect in the playing styles of The Howlers and Coldsweat (especially on “Oh Pretty Woman”, which I found uncanny, especially as the two bands are strangers to each other. There’s no denying they’ve both got it going on with a boogie-woogie sensibility that just won’t quit! They even like the same kind of songs with abrupt rhythm changes in them, like the title track (“She’s Into Something”), which bounces back and forth from a rhumba to a shufflin’ blues-rocker.

This is an excellent team of musicians, comprised of Perry Roper on guitar, Andy Woehler on bass and “Deacon” Dave Montague on drums – immensely professional and definitely have to be heard to get a full appreciation! The band is apparently very crowd-friendly as well, going by a comment that was passed on to me by Mike “Sheriff” Rose of the Washington Blues Society, who witnessed Perry, with his wireless guitar, doing a “Pied Piper” routine with the children at the WBS picnic in August/02 – must have been auditorially arresting!

As if the above-mentioned songs weren’t fabulously executed, the guys have also recorded covers of another favourite musician of mine – the late, great, John Lee Hooker! While nobody can imitate that unique voice of his, the renditions here are equally reminiscent of Lightnin’ Hopkins, a musician favoured by another Seattle musician – Tim “Too Slim” Langford, particuarly on “Big Legs, Tight Skirts”.

Speaking of John Lee, the John Lee Hooker Foundation, in conjunction with Blue Storm Music, put on a Birthday Charity Concert on August 22/02 - John Lee’s birthday and now the officially designated John Lee Hooker Day - at San Francisco’s reknowned Fillmore Auditorium. Blue Storm Music will be releasing a memorial tribute CD, Clarksdale to Heaven – Remembering John Lee Hooker - on September 24/02, which will also include performances by John Lee’s daughter, Zakiya, Jack Bruce, Gary Moore and Jeff Beck, Mick Taylor, Peter Green and other famous “Bluesbreakers”!