Album Notes

SMOKIN' AT THE OAK BAR is an electrified performance of the fast and furious fingers of Wayne Goins, backed by the heavyweight musicians in the Joe Cartwright Trio. The combo is wailing down at the Oak Bar, located snugly in the corner of the main floor of the Fairmont Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. The quartet scorches through seven tunes, and displays a wide range of styles as the cruise through the set, starting with the opening number, "Bluesville," followed by the medium-paced cooker, "I've Never Been In Love Before;" the smooth bossa nova, "Recordame;" the unexpected up-tempo burner, "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise;" the blustery ballad, "Body and Soul;" The laid-back groove of "In A Mellow Tone," and the final flamethrower, "Oleo." This album totally captures the mood of an unleashed fury of Goins' guitar licks like never before! The trio is up to the challenge though, as Joe Cartwright (piano), Ray DeMarchi (drums), and Gerald Spaits (bass) throw down the gauntlet and give Goins a run for his money. The fiery ensemble lit up the Oak Bar at the Fairmont on the tenth of June, 2005, and the heat from the music still lingers in the room, so check it out!