Be prepared for a winter meltdown, on Saturday, February 20th, when the Automatic Blues Band will be recording their debut CD, Live at Jambalaya's. The band has been heating up stages with a selection of their jammin' original tunes that will be included on the CD, scheduled to be released this spring. A music video is also in the works for their featured single "Blind Dog's Rib Joint." The cameras will be rolling the night of the 20th, with local film-maker D.J. Perry, of Collective Development, Inc., guiding the production.
The Automatic Blues Band is a houserocking, boogie blues group, that gets the crowd dancing. They keep the dancers at a level just slightly below coronary arrest by throwing into the mix some gutsy, heartfelt, sensual slow blues songs. Harmonica man Gary Day (Blind Dog) rips on the "Rib Joint" number and his accomplice, songwriter/guitarist Mike Somers, takes it over the top with his turbo charged romp. You would swear they've burnt the ribs when drummer Juan Cunningham smokes up the house. Add the lyrical bass rhythms of the accomplished Eric Hamilton, and you are going for a ride. The crowd can't sit still when the Automatic Blues Band takes them to the rib joint.
Go out to Jambalaya's to see the fun on Thursday and Friday, February 18th and 19th, for the warm-up performances, and on Saturday the 20th for the recording session. Be prepared to dance and sweat, and Chef Chambre Beauvais plans to cook up a cajun rib special to tune up the taste buds. If you plan to dine, please call Jambalaya's (517-651-9072) for a reservation. Come early to get the best seats!
Note: This article originally appeared in the February 1999 issue of The Blues Ambassador, the monthly newsletter of the Capital Area Blues Society (CABS), and is reprinted here with the permission of CABS.