Rod Cook and Toast
I Ain’t The Fool
Howlin’ Squirrel – 0100
available from
HwlnSquirl@aol.com
1998
also available on Amazon
This is one refreshingly good disc based in the blues. It uses that as the juncture from which all the experimentation and stretching starts. This is exploratory work into the diversity of the blues form much in same vein as Ry Cooder (there is a similarity in the guitar playing also) uses his individual discs to explore such topics as Hawaiian music, or music from the 1930s. This is on a much smaller scale and exploring different modalities of the blues guitar. He is helped and supported by a very able cast of supporting musicians, who aid him in showcasing his music without being obtrusive, while always giving him a solid base from which to investigate his boundaries. Chris Leighton anchors this fine band on drums and percussion on all manner of other instruments, and Keith Lowe on bass. There is the bouncy Caribbean beat to the opening cut “I Want To Be In Love Tonight”, with some interesting instrumentation. The use of fiddle and electric slide guitar highlight the work of the percussion particularly the steel drums. From this cut we go to a slow blues with Laura Love (Rod and Chris Leighton play in her band, but this is very different from her music) doing some excellent second vocals. The rest of the disc produces enough turns and has some equally very pleasant surprises to keep the listener very interested. The musicianship here is nonpareil. Rod Cook’s main instrument is the slide guitar on which he sets some very high standards whether it is on the acoustic or electric slide guitar. He seems equally adept on the National Reso-phonic guitar, the Tacoma Papoose guitars (a tenor guitar tuned a 4th higher than a standard guitar that sounds like a mandolin) and the electric or acoustic guitar. To add another dimension to the disc 10 of the 12 songs are penned by Rod Cook. A very interesting disc from a group I look forward to hearing from in the not too distant future with some very intriguing work. A very pleasant surprise.
Songs, times and writers – all written by Rod Cook except where noted:
1. I Want To Be In Love Tonight – 5:24
2. Ain’t The Fool I Used To Be – 5:26
3. Got Everything I need – 4:37
4. Snake Oil – 5:14
5. Baby Please Come Home – 5:31
6. Bob’s Breakdown – 2:54
7. Devil Inside – 6:28
8. Jumpin’ At Shadows – 5:20 – Duster Bennett
9. Supercat – 6:14
10. Heaven When You’re Near – 4:35
11. Chokin’ The Chicken – 5:36
12. Long Gone Daddy – 5:59 – Hank Williams
Musicians
Rod Cook – lead and harmony vocals, National Reso-phonic guitar, Tacoma Papoose guitars, electric and acoustic slide guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, rhythm guitar, bass, producer
Chris Leighton – drums, steel drum, percussion (barrel, shaker, railroad track, goat toenails, conga, bowed cymbals, clave, cowbell, tambourine), washer and dryer, producer
Keith Lowe – bass
Dan Tyack – Pedabro, pedal steel guitars
Barbara Lamb – fiddle
Ken “Burnie” LaCombe – harmony vocals
Sheryl Sullivan – harmony vocals
Laura Love – vocals and harmony vocals
Max Paul Schwennson – vocals, harmony vocals
Murl Allen Sanders – accordion
Rick Ulsky – Hammond B-3 organ, cat
Susan Orfield – tenor saxes