Rosemary’s Baby Blues’ debut album On Time & Feelin’ Fine is a journey through some of the greasiest, down and dirty, and most fun blues songs to ever grace a band’s party set. All of these fun tunes are played by some of Boston’s finest blues musicians. Aside from the band’s name sake, saxophonist Rosemary Casey, this outfit includes guitarist Jake “The Snake” Jacobsen, drummer Larry Bassick, bassist Joe Peck, trumpeter John Abrahamsen, harmonica man Bismo Beerbelly, trombonist Wayne Mogel, and with renowned and infamous keyboardist Travis Colby.
This gang of players breathe new life into Delbert McClinton’s rendition of “Every Time I Roll The Dice,” a swaggering, danceable glide through Texas style blues. Jake Jacobsen’s vocals are belty and rollicking, putting waves of motion into this song. Piano peaks and valleys, horn swells, and a moaning slide guitar make this song feel like a traveling dance party. The listener can picture these guys taking over on a Friday or Saturday night whichever honky tonk their bus pulls into.
“Pass The Peas” by The J.B.’s comes at the listener with forceful stabs of melody lines, one glorious burst of melodic swagger from each instrument at a time. The horns blare like mad, like a jazzy soundtrack to a back alley knife fight. These boys and girl mean business, and it jumps out of the listener’s stereo speakers with gutsy abandon. A spunky organ energy powers a greasy line around a lean mean guitar phrase before the rhythm boys show us what they’ve got. Bass and drums smack the song around with the precision of science and the force of a beat down.
The group plays a colorful rendition of “Poverty” by Bobby Blues Band, a song with multiple waves of motion. Horns carry the listener along their blaring lines like a magic carpet ride that make one feel lifted, floating along. Barroom piano tinkling conjure images of prohibition era speakeasies and the rhythm section put a nicely understated pulse underneath it all. The lead vocalistl is rich in character and fullness, and he makes the song come to life with his warm delivery of the lyrics.
This band excels at playing blues that one can dance to. “North Side Gal,” sung in an earthy approach by Joe Peck, bounces around on a thumpy backbeat and snaking groove, one that keeps springing forward with muscular leaps. Bismo Beerbelly’s harmonica line zig zags around the beat slyly before Rosemary Casey comes in with a thin, light, but vigorous sax line that commands attention. Every instrument is like a pied piper calling people to the dance floor and inspiring every limb to move with the way they finesse.
No blues party would be complete without the popular, beloved chestnut “Got My Mojo Working.” Drummer Larry Bassick keeps it bumping along with measured stick work. Casey makes the melody line all her own with her energetic sax line. Abrahamsen takes it wider with his vibrant trumpet flight as the confluence of piano and rhythm section gives his melody line room to breath and stretch out. This rendition is just a nice thick mess of fun instrumentation and a party vibe that makes the listener feel like he’s hearing it in a live music venue.
This band certainly knows how to roll out a tall tale. Casey and her Baby Blues boys go into Texas territory again with another popular Delbert McClinton rendition. “The Rub” finds the bands taking its time as they finesse this story song with fine touches of horn and organ that glide over all that’s going on here. Breezy, jazzy, and greasy, the instrumentation remains wholly cool as the singer unfurls this crime drama with a likable charisma.
Rosemary’s Baby Blues Band jump into The Mar-Key’s “Last Night” with a determined confidence. Mounds of horn lines, organ swells, and jumpy rhythm work keep this number thumping along with enough nuggets of style and verve to keep everyone on the dance floor.
Bismo Beerybelly’s sharp, jumpy harmonica line pulls the listener right into Big Joe Turner’s “Flip, Flop, & Fly.” Beerbelly constantly flavors this piece with some dandy harp work, his lines see-sawing, zig zagging, moving in thin, precise lines that define the instrumental portions of this number. Vocals and horns also put in fine appearances here, making something refreshingly fun out of a song we’ve all danced and sung along to many times before.
The band has fun with Rufus Thomas’s “Walkin’ The Dog,” a blues classic that’s been covered by everyone who’s every played in a blues bar. Casey walks the dog with a feisty sax line that is accompanied by a high pitched guitar. The two instruments compliment each other well, serving up a hot slice of blues funk. Eventually, that late 1960s style lead guitar finesses its line even more, keeping the song fresh and familiar at once.
Final track “Killin’ Time” is a live recording Rosemary Casey made at Club 39 with Mike Walker on bass, Lennie Peterson on trombone, Pete Henderson on guitar, and directed by Gordon Beadle who plays bari sax. It’s a bracing piece of action packed instrumental drama which fits right with the rest of the album as all the songs have a grand live feeling.
Rosemary’s Baby Blues Band have come up with a fantastic calling card for their band. This band is unafraid to tackle the classics because they have the confidence and talent to breathe new life into old standards. The party vibe and live music venue feel on this On Time & Feelin’ Fine album cannot be beat.
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