Doug James
Blow Mr. Low
Stony Plain – 1276
Released – 2001
visit the Doug's website
also available on cd baby
This baritone sax player searches out that lowest down, deepest bottom-end of the music that can be found in any horn section, and then takes us on a tour of those depths. He does this not in the jazz idiom where it is more common, though his playing shows great influences of jazz, but with the blues. You can hear shades of Paul Williams and Bobby Smith in his playing they jumped and boogied in the late 40s and early 50s. He’s played with and anchored Roomful of Blues, Duke Robillard’s band and on many sessions for such as Big Joe Turner, Eddy Clearwater, and Stevie Ray Vaughan to name but a few. He is well respected as an arranger, producer, and engineer. He has written 4 of the 10 songs (and co-wrote one other with Duke Robillard), and this is the first CD in his name, and he is in the front as the bandleader and co-producer. He grabbed a few of his friends to help him out, which they do with great effect. Duke Robillard provides guitar and the vocals on two of the cuts, including the title cut which he wrote to honor Doug and his nickname, Blow Mr. Low. Sugar Ray Norcia, former frontman for Roomful of Blues, takes the lead vocals on two numbers also. This is a solid and full effort from one of the finest horn players that is recording today. It jumps shakes and has that deep down soul that many only dream of achieving.
Produced by Duke Robillard and Doug James
Songs, times, and writers
1 Extra Axle – 4:09 – Doug James
2 Blow Mr. Low – 3:37 – Duke Robillard
3 I Want A Little Girl – 4:38 – Murray Mencher, Billy Moll
4 Bobbie’s Boogie – 3:58 – Doug James
5 Son Of Mr. Big Horn – 3:17 – Doug James
6 Blues For Leo – 5:53 – Doug James
7 Dirty, Dirty People – 4:17 – Smiley Lewis
8 Dog Ate My Reed – 4:45 – Duke Robillard, Doug James
9 Cry Me A River – 0:00 – Arthur Hamilton
10 You Better Hold Me – 4:23 – James Reed, Robert Geddins
Musicians
Doug James – baritone sax
Mark Teixeira – drums
John Packer – bass
Matt McCabe – piano
Duke Robillard – guitar except 6 & 9, vocals 2 & 10
Sugar Ray Norcia – vocals on 3 & 7
“Sax” Gordon Beadle – tenor sax 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 10
Marty Ballou – bass on 6 & 9
Carl Querfurth – trombone on 1, 3, 5 & 7
Al Basile – trumpet on 1