Gerry Hundt is a musician who plays and sings Chicago Blues for a living. He has been playing taverns since before he was allowed to drink in them. Born in Wisconsin and raised in Illinois, Gerry has since lived in Vermont, New York City, Colorado, and Chicago. In Denver, he worked, toured, and recorded with the likes of John-Alex Mason, Ronnie Shellist, The ClamDaddys, and Easy Bill. Gerry now resides in Northwest Indiana and tours with Nick Moss, filling the role of "utility man," playing bass, guitar, harmonica, and, of course, mandolin. On the strength of his critically-acclaimed Blue Bella Records CD, "Since Way Back," Gerry was nominated for Blues Music Awards in 2008 & 2009 for Best Instrumentalist, Other (Mandolin), and featured at the Montreal Jazz Festival and The Blues Station in Tournon d'Agenais, France. In addition to continuing worldwide radio and web airplay, tracks from "Since Way Back" have appeared numerous times on NPR's "Morning Edition."
The critics say:
"For many, familiarlity with the mandolin role in the blues begins and ends wwith the names Yank Rachel, Johnny Young and The Mississippi Sheiks' Sam Chatmon. But the mandolin, like the fiddle and banjo, was common to blues groups before World War II and the kudzu-like popularity growth of the electric guitar.
Chicago bluesman Gerry Hundt is right line with tradition and 'Since Way Back' is no Music Minus One type of novelty disc with mandolin pyrotechnics slapped over generic backing. The only novelty about is how far it stands above the pack. Hundt's goal was to make a genuine, high-quality Chicago blues record. Mission accomplished.
Like Jethro Burns of the bluegrass/comedy duo Homer and Jethro, who also stretched the stylistic parameters for the instrument, Hundt doesn't try to make it sound like what it isn't nor does he cheat the music. He plays the blues and does it on the mandolin. Without the the extended sustain and stringbending available to guitar players - even on the vintage Kay electric, one of the three he uses here, along with a Harmony and a Gibson acoustic - there is a percussive, piano-like aspect to Hundt's playing. Though the the guiding hands of Rachel, Young and even Muddy Waters are apparent, Hundt's phrasing, which grows naturally out of the nature of the instrument, is strikingly reminiscent of piano greats like Otis Spann or Johnnie Johnson.
Hundt's also a soulful, natural-sounding singer, who, mindful of the fact that the blues is first a vocal medium, avoids both the mimicking minstrelsy and the overextended solos that trip up less-gifted canaries. That, and a loosely-knit, hard-charging but perfectly modulated band featuring great work from labelmate Bill Lupkin on harp, make this an organic, fully realized disc that you don't have to be a "taterbug" aficionado to dig." --- Rick Allen, Vintage Guitar Magazine, March 2008
"Hundt swings and stomps through a traditional menu of Chicago blues with a joie de vivre that will turn the heads of blues fans unfamiliar with the mandolin... 'Since Way Back' is an entertaining and educational release sure delight fans of Young and Rachell. Let's hope it inspires fans of Chicago blues to seek out music by other mandolin masters." --- Thomas J. Cullen III, Blues Revue Magazine, Feb/Mar 2008
"Described simply, shut your eyes and it's Johnny Young time, with an excellent early fifties small combo sound, reminiscent, nay, extremely reminiscent, of Young and Snooky Pryor, with Bill Lupkin's harmonica adding greatly to the listening pleasure. The title track opener sums the issue up, a beaty and tough number, Hundt's voice matches his emphatic mandolin work, which is simply colossal as the number climaxes. There are slower, more plaintive numbers, 'Bad Water' has a down-home, almost pre-war feel and 'Union Meetin'' has a jug band feel, despite there not being a jug – or harp present, but it's a nice instrumental, Oshawny's piano is very effective in helping the number roll along. As well as Jimmy Rogers' 'You're The One', 'Hard Road' seems like it should have been a Rogers number, so easily does it follow in his style. The only other nonoriginal number is Otis Spann's laid back and reflective 'Burning Fire', Hundt composed the other twelve. There are a couple of rollicking instrumentals and Moss himself drives a few numbers on, such as in 'Ready To Go' and 'Chicago', possibly the only recognition to modern day sounds, and the album finishes with the well named 'End Of The Day Blues', a great closing instrumental.
A superb album, one of the best debut albums we've heard in a long, long time." --- Blues 'n' Rhythm (UK), March 2008
"5 out of 5 Stars!" --- Soul Bag (FR), March 2008
"Captures the spirit of Johnny Young. What more can you say than that?" --- Billy Flynn
"It's just an amazing record...you’ve probably never heard anything quite like it. I know I haven’t." --- Josh Hathaway, Boston Globe
"'Since Way Back' rocks with pure, unadulterated abandon!" --- Don Crow, Music City Blues
Personnel:
Tracks 1-12
Gerry Hundt: vocals, electric & acoustic mandolin
Josh Stimmel: electric guitar
Bill Lupkin: harmonica
Piano Willie Oshawny: piano
Nick Moss: bass, acoustic guitar
Bob Carter: drums
Track 13
Barrelhouse Chuck: piano
Gerry Hundt: mandolin
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