Terry Hanck – Grease To Gravy
This set has a ‘60s soul-blues (R&B) feel, once the domain of Boz Scaggs in the ’70s. Laid out with lots of old-fashioned organ notes, “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You” is potent in an easy-listening-soul environment. This is mindful to ears as old as mine of Jerry Butler, Chuck Jackson, Deon Jackson (“Love Makes the World Go Round”), & Len Barry (“1-2-3”).
Terry has a cool voice dipped in R&B, surrounded by his vintage tenor sax, & and the band’s antique-sounding guitars. Is it mainstream? Yeah, in 1964 – but that driving drum application certainly elevates it. It’s a good, tight retro-sounding group. Everything old is new again.
There are 12 Grease To Gravy (Drops June 24/Little Village/53:29) tracks collected & recorded in studios in CA & FL produced by Terry Hanck (vocals/tenor sax) & Chris Kid Andersen (guitar/slide guitar/bass/upright bass/organ).
With “If a Politician Was a Doctor,” Terry scoops up the vocal tonality of Roy Head, Mitch Ryder & Gary U.S. Bonds. Weaved in a vintage arrangement, & showcased with modern muscle. This is commercially rich, but funky, with its sharp guitars, superb percussion, & stylistic sax.
The songs are predominantly more soulful than blues. But Terry cruises across the blues with “Come Back Baby,” with a Van Morrison approach rather than Ray Charles. His intonation here is a little gruff, lots of hard R’s, but the groove is hot & steady. The sax — always reliable in a typical early ‘60s style.
“Goin’ Way Back Home Tonight” has more honking sax with a steady, typical R&B beat evident on early Motown-Tamla records. The guitars unleash old-fashioned trebly leads. There’s even a little Otis Redding-like repetitive vocal excitement. Terry cooks effectively & knows this music.
Terry’s songs are jukebox sounding & “Overall Junction” is an instrumental in a soulful & jaunty mix, has prominent bass that holds down the lead guitar & sax to surf through this arrangement. It has that lost charm of a good instrumental like The Markett’s lovely “Bella Delena,” & The Rockin’ Rebels’ classic “Wild Weekend.”
“Sick & Tired” is good. Sounds like an old 45 rpm single from the ‘50s. If that’s their intention, they succeeded. It sounds like rock n’ roll….emphasis on the roll. More serious pieces include “Going Down Slow” & “Pins & Needles.” Impressive closeouts.
Highlights – “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You,” “If a Politician Was a Doctor,” “Come Back Baby,” “Goin’ Way Back Home Tonight,” “Overall Junction,” “Sick & Tired,” “Going Down Slow,” & “Pins & Needles.”
Musicians – Johnny Cat Soubrand (guitar), J.P. Soars (guitars), Jim Pugh (B3/organ/piano/ARP string ensemble/Wurlitzer), Tim Wagar & Endre Tarczy (bass), Lisa Leuschner Andersen (bgv), Jon Otis (drums/percussion), Chris Peet (drums/bass), Butch Cousins, D’Mar & June Core (drums), Chris Burns, Mitch Woods & Mark Doyle (pianos),
Color image courtesy of Joseph Rosen, 2006. CD image courtesy of Sean Christopher. CD @ Bandcamp & Apple + https://www.terryhanck.net/
