Scott HENDERSON - Dog Party 1994

Scott HENDERSON - Dog Party 1994
Label: Mesa / Bluemoon

Blues

This is Henderson's first album from 1994. I can see why this cd got so many rave reviews after it came out. It's filled with more than enough killer hooks and mind-blowing guitar work to fill any void left by Stevie Ray. But like most all blues rock albums I listen to nowadays, I often tend to focus more on the music and overlook the lyrics. Because after all, most modern day blues artists like to keep it simple when it comes to adding those cumberson words to their music. But this one isn't that typical "my baby left me and I lost my job" type of blues album. First of all, as you might have deduced from the title, this cd deals with dogs. That's right, all the music here refers to the trials and tribulations of a typical day in the life of a dog. But if you listen a little closer, you'll see that all those animal instincts and nasty habits that you're average canine tends to have without apology, can also be applied to humans. Henderson cross-references this stuff in such a clever way that I couldn't help but laugh from seeing myself and some of my doggy tendencies in some of these songs. But, getting back to the music: From the first tune on, this cd will grab you by the lobes of your ears and suck you right in. The opener "Hole Diggin" is an instrumental played at a fast and furious pace with a lot of SRV style to it. After this it only gets better with the slow burnin' "Fence Climbin' Blues". Man, I can't emphasize enough how good a player Henderson is. He's got about 3 minutes of solo guitar work in this song that left me sittin' with my headphones on and my jaw locked on open. Technically, with his jazz background and all, there may not be a better guitar player playing today. And I'm not overstating the fact. I've had this cd for a while, and it never ceases to amaze me. As for the rest of the music, you get the idea, it's all good. And he even does a finger snappin' cover of "Hound Dog" that's enough to make any dog do a 4 paw strut across the floor. The only thing else I can say is get your grubby claws on this and don't let go. "Dog Party" definitly gets an enthusiastic 5 barks up.
By  Patrick Earley.
**
Scott Henderson- Guitar
Kirk Covington- Drums, Vocals
Linda Zig Zegarelli- Harmonica
Richard Ruse- Bass
Erin McGuire- Vocals
Scott Kinsey- Keyboards
Willie Scrub Scoggins- Guitar
Thibdeau Tovato- Guitar
Keith "Mr.Big D" Wyatt- Guitar
T.J. Helmerich- Guitar
Mike Whitman- Saxophone
Stan "Be Bop" Martin- Trumpet
Pat O'Brien- Harmonica
**
01. Hole Diggin' (4:19)
02. Fence Climbin' Blues (6:54)
03. Dog Party (6:42)
04. Same as You (5:09)
05. Milk Bone (5:40)
06. Hell Bent Pup (5:20)
07. Hound Dog (4:03)
08. Dog Walk (5:09)
09. Smelly Ol' Dog Blues (7:55)
10. Too Many Gittars (4:38)
**
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