Lick my Soul!

The best thing about the long awaited Harmonica Playboy & his Midnight Movers CD, Lick my Soul, is that it was recorded live in a dingy basement home studio with a dysfunctional headphone system, thus at least partially capturing the spontaneous, raw essence of this terrific band. No doubt the fellas in the band hoped for more ideal recording conditions (and when I win the lottery I’m going to build a studio worthy of all our local talent and record them free), but they have still managed to produce a recording that makes me want to head down to the Eagles RIGHT NOW and dance to them.

Bandleader, singer, and harmonica player Mike Lynch has always surrounded himself with world-class talent and it serves him superbly here. Long-time Midnight Movers Tim Sherman, (guitar), Howard Hooper (bass), and Conrad Ormsby (drums), are joined by the Deacon, Ron Weinstein (B3 and piano). It hardly needs saying that these musicians all turn in fine performances on a clutch of Midnight Mover favorites including the perennial favorite “Chicken Heads” by Bobby Rush, “Big Town Playboy” by Eddie Taylor, and the driving “G-Junior Shuffle” by First Avenue inspiration Don McNeff. Kicking things off is a Lynch original, “Scufflin’,” a harp shuffle that shows off his tone, Also featured is former Nitelife guitarist Tom Boyle’s “Afterglow,” giving the project a nice balance of tunes by national and local artists.

In spite of my comments about the recording studio, Greg Davis at BCII Studios does a fine job; the sound on this CD is much more pleasing than the rather antiseptic sound of many home grown projects. Good separation means you can hear everyone’s parts clearly (though I’m sure Sherman wishes he were louder. . . .) and the tone is authentic and greasy throughout.

The playing on this CD is uniformly excellent from a band we just don’t get to see often enough. Fans have been waiting over 20 years for a recording from Lynch and won’t be disappointed with this lively gem. It’s hard to capture the energy and excitement of a live performance by a top-notch blues band, but this comes close, and of course we completely believe the Playboy when he sings, “I’m just a poor boy who loves to sing the blues.” That love for the music comes across as clearly here as it does in live performance. Start lobbying for the next one now!