What do Will McFarlane, Mark T. Jordan, Andy Peake, Rick Huckaby, Kenne Cramer, Tom Szell, and Bryan Brock have in common? It’s easy. This “magnificent seven” put together ten tracks that will make your earth move in the right direction. The name of the band is Big Shoes, and their new release is Step On It! There are two words that come to mind, and they are “smooth blues.” Once you listen to the first track, you won’t want to stop.
Big Shoes opens with a modified I-IV-V-I piece, “Duplex Blues.” Listening to the words, who can’t relate to this song? “There You Go,” their second track, has a cool jazz flavor. The intro to the track, “Dixie Melody,” has a beautiful 49 seconds of gospel keyboard. Bottom line, these ten tracks in Step On It! are for the blues enthusiast, or should I say, “smooth blues” enthusiast.
I love to hear bands that have so much history behind each musician. Step On It! shows what can happen when you mix virtuous music with tip-top musicians, masterful. As we say in the south, “They done good.” I’m J.R. Joseph Miller with High Note Reviews, and this is Big Shoes as they “Step On It!”