Damon Fowler
Sugar Shack
Blind Pig #914851262
Florida native Damon Fowler might feel he has made it to the big leagues. His debut for Blind Pig Records entitled Sugar Shack is an interesting hybrid of the roots rock, blues and country that is a more refreshing approach than cranking out predictable 12 bar blues standards that are no longer exciting to listen to.
A swamp water vibe washes over "I Hope It's Gonna Rain" with its John Fogerty guitar lines. Long time bassist Chuck Riley and drummer Scott Key light rhythmic fire under the slide barroom stomp of "Lonely Blues”.
The CD is pure American roots music. Fowler can wear the hat of a bluesman without any problem. But that could be unfortunate because you wouldn’t get the mournful down-home country sounds of the ballad "James”.
And, if you want to put your dancing shoes on, there's no better time to do it when "Sugar Lee" comes on. Blending Johnny Winter and Duane Allman slide runs together, Fowler has enough wallop to make this tune into a strong sense of bourbon.
Fowler has a good knack for writing original compositions. Roots rocker "VFW" is a good feeling of shaking it down and letting loose with its Fender like guitar runs. But what's admirable about Fowler is his willingness to take on the Merle Haggard composition "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" and turn it into a nugget of Country Americana of which it is. There's a Caribbean/Tex Mex swoon to "Third Rate Romance”.
Believe it or not, even a snippet of Reggae can turn "Wrong Side Of The Road" into pleasurable listening because of its country-fried musical leanings. Country seems to float Damon's boat more than anything. His Telecaster leads just smolder like coals under "Don’t Know Why I Love You" and Billy Joe Shaver's "I’m Just An Old Chunk of Coal”.
For Damon Fowler it's not just the blues that counts, it's that American Roots Music won't be forgotten. If legacies need to be preserved, he deserves as much credit as anyone that they are brought into the
limelight.
- Gary Weeks -
Southwest Blues CD Review - March 2009
Current Reviews -
2009 Reviews - available at our store
