Mad Dogs & Okies
various artists
Concord Records – 2267
visit Jamie Oldaker’s website
also available on amazon
Many a disc comes out that is hyped to the forelock and actually manages to not only live up to the hype, but to surpass the expectations the hype aroused, and Jamie Oldaker’s “Mad Dogs & Okies,” does exactly that. There is not a weak cut on this disc. Oldaker got some of his better known old friends, a few people you may not have heard of, and some that have that familiar name that you can’t quite place, and put together this disc which is loosely held together because in some way (by writer or musicians) all the cuts are tied to Oklahoma. You have names like Vince Gill, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, Peter Frampton, Willie Nelson, and so on to give you an idea of the variety of musicians and styles that are on display here. Some of the names may cause you to say what the heck are they doing on this disc, but man do they all deliver. Peter Frampton does a heart felt rendition of “Sending Me Angels,”
Tony Joe White has it all dripping in a soft rain on J.J. Cale’s “Magnolia,” and Bonnie Bramlett has the dance floor rockin’ with “Make Your Move.” These aren’t necessarily the highlights because there is too much outstanding music here to pick one or two as this disc is a combination of magnificent songwriting combined with top notch musicians that are mixed up just right to draw the best out of each performance, which makes for an exceptionally well done disc of amazing pieces that becomes a tremendous celebration of the music of Oklahoma.