Sheriff's Report - The songs of New Sheriff In Town
I Should’ve Known
I do this tune frequently at jams. The musician’s usually like it because of the funky rhythm. The performances vary a lot – from pounding rock to this more swampy sound. I got what I wanted on this cut - swamp boogie. I think we conjured up about an eight-foot gator on this this one. Great slide work by Brian Lee.
Start It Up
This one is a favorite at live performances. It always fills the dance floor. I take a few liberties with the Robben Ford lyrics. Then there’s the 1951 Mercury with the flathead V8. Vrooo-o-o-m!
Blues No More
I wrote this one a couple years ago. It always gets people dancing, but it never reached its potential because it didn’t have boogie-woogie piano. It was waiting for the awesome Mr. Skoog. The rest is history.
This is a tongue-in-cheek party song celebrating the no-worries attitude of a disgusting scumbag. He can indulge in anything he wants by spending other people’s money including the money from his grandchild’s piggybank. The key is to avoid consequences and responsibility. He does so admirably with the result that he can “quit the blues.” Maybe he's a musician? Naw. Musician's aren't like that.
Any resemblance to persons real or imagined is purely coincidental.
My Baby
There are blues songs about wild women. big-legged women. hard-headed women. whiskey-drinkin' women. mean women. pretty women. jealous women. cheatin' women. young women ("She's sixteen years old...") Well, you know what I mean.
This song is a woman's character. She may be strong-willed, but man does she know love! A committed woman who blows my blues away! …but stay away from the crossroads, dude!
Thanks to Brian Lee and Doug Skoog for throwin’ down that Elmore James feel.
Hey Now
I have always liked this song by Ray Charles, but I feel it like a straight-ahead slow blues. I took a few tips from Sugary Ray Norcia (Roomful of Blues) and added my own verse about how your baby won’t be home no more.
Sheriff's Report - The Bluesmen of New Sheriff In Town
This band is simply the best. All stars. Seriously, these are some of the baddest hombres in Blues County!
Individually and in a number of bands over the years, these bluesmen have captured numerous Best of the Blues awards and powered several bands to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Alphabetically, they are Billy “the pocket” Barner (Blues Redemption) on drums, Joe Hendershot (Blues Redemption) on bass, Brian Lee (Brian Lee and the Orbiters) on slide guitar, and Doug Skoog (Blues Redemption) on keys.
It’s an honor and a pleasure to be supported by players who throw down the blues like they hombres. Oh yeah! Of course, they're all members in good standing with the Blues County Witness Protecton Program.
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