Duffy King: Press/Reviews

Bugs Beddow Band "Smokin Live" CD reviews

USA - BUGS BEDDOW BAND: „Smokin‚ Live‰
Great Lakes Music-Recorded at Memphis Smoke, Royal Oak, Michigan on the 30th August 2002,this Live CD is a very enjoyable release from the 2002 Detroit Music Awards Best R&B Band.
Commencing with Diggin‚ On James Brown in the style you would expect, this track sets the mood for the rest of this lively CD album. Continuing with Lowdown, a funky five minutes of enjoyable soul/blues, this brilliant band start to warm up the crowd before their close interpretation of BB King and Eric Clapton‚s Riding With The King. This laid back version has great harmony vocals and includes a very special saxophone solo from James Morse. Following James‚ solo comes a superb guitar solo from Duffy King, who incidentally produced this CD .
Another Funky Blues with Soul number by the name of Ain‚t Doin‚ Too Bad features a nice guitar intro, truly excellent vocals then follows with a superb saxophone solo followed by an equally excellent trombone solo from the band leader bugs Beddow. The track is some seven and a half minutes long, and has some spontaneous band interaction, including an impromptu trombone „Purple Haze‰ theme followed by Duffy King keeping in the Hendrix mindset with a mellow Jimi influenced passage. This is a very enjoyable CD so far.
As the next track, Once You Get The Taste, progresses you could be forgiven for thinking that The B52‚s were guesting! The funky rhythm guitar, the brass section and the vocal harmonies make this a superb track. The guitar solo is also worthy of note as is the trombone solo on this song. This type of Funk/Soul/Blues is really enjoyable to listen to.
The enigmatic Irishman, Van Morrison couldn‚t have performed Domino any better than the bugs Beddow band have done it on this CD. It‚s a great song and this band show their credentials as they perform it. A great inclusion to the set, without question. Moving on from the Irishman‚s song to the style of a soul great, Mr James Brown comes Soul Mine. With more funky guitar under the brass-dominated track, it is a real pleasure to listen to.
More rhythm and blues material in the guise of I'm Ready (Ready as anybody can be) sees the band canter rhythmically through this R&B staple for the next ten minutes! This is no chore however; it‚s more pure enjoyment with some more meritable trombone and saxophone solos coupled to a very tasteful guitar of Duffy King. The rhythm section of percussionist Jim Pryor and the subtle bass of Glenn Olds do an excellent job throughout this song and indeed throughout the concert.
The tenth number in the set Don't Change Horses is another track rich in rhythm. This is followed by the popular 1970‚s song, Lowrider! Sounds like bugs is playing a flute on the theme riff. Just where the ultra low-pitched vocals are coming from, who knows, but it‚s a good song. The vocal harmonies are brilliant too.
The closing number on this CD is a version of Carlos Santana‚s Smooth, the popular song from the Latino guitar virtuoso. It‚s a fine tribute to the San Francisco guitarist/composer. The song is a success and has all the ingredients necessary- good vocals and rhythm, accurate guitar, and the brass section. It‚s a shame the CD has to end there, as it is without a doubt a great party kind of record. These musicians make up another good-time band. This live CD showcases just how much so. It‚s little wonder they have been awarded the Detroit Music Award, as they are a superb showband. This is an excellent CD to listen to, it‚s upbeat and is unquestionably enjoyable. This band is probably a real-life Blues Brothers Band, that‚s how they come across, - absolutely brilliant!
'Blues Matters!' Magazine London, England issue No.14 June 2003 Alan Pearce - MD & Editor

Alan Pearce - Blues Matters UK (Jun 1, 2003)

The 2002 and 2003 Detroit Music Award winners for Best R&B Band return with another live chronicle. Smokin' Live (Great Lakes Music) from bugs Beddow Band was recorded August 30, 2002 at one of metro Detroit’s most fun nightspots, Memphis Smoke. The establishment features southern cuisine and is one of those places to see and be seen at. Unlike their 1997 live CD, this one has superior sound, thanks to the production of flamboyant guitarist/vocalist Duffy King. He captures the band’s powerhouse dynamics and non-stop partying via 70 minutes of 12 loud, high-energy covers. It's a cross-section of dance tunes, pop tunes and blues from the likes of John Hiatt, James Cotton, Van Morrison and Santana. As the disc progresses, you will find yourself turning up the volume and moving more and more body parts. At the core remain the accomplished and seasoned horns with bugs (trombone, flute, vocals) and James Morse (sax), in addition to mainstay Jim Pryor (drums, vocals). Bass playing Glenn Olds is the group’s newcomer having joined just weeks prior to this recording. "Diggin’ On James Brown" hits you where you live with an energetic sax solo. There is fuzzy and funky guitar on "Lowdown." On it, bugs’ flute goes techno-pop by producing sounds you’d expect from a synthesizer. Later, on "Ain’t Doin’ Too Bad," he uses his trombone to test the building’s seismic readiness by blowing notes that rumble. Then Duffy burns his strings to a red hot flame while being egged on by the pumping horns. Next, all the artists get a chance to solo on this blistering barn-burner. No one can sit still through "Domino," with its sexy and jazz inflicted sax. Here, Duffy plays quick hillbilly picking, then transitions his solo into incredibly fast fret-blazing rock guitar which releases a sonic boom. This band gives it all they got. They play for their audience and know what their audience wants. Each contains a catchy rhythm, pulsing horns and ripping guitar. These modern day Blues Brothers are rooted in the blues and are rich in R&B. If you are looking for an R&B celebration with super-charged brass and guitar, this is one party you won’t want to miss.

tim holek - blues bytes (May 1, 2004)