Celebrating the Blues in
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Celebrating the Blues
in Champaign-Urbana
Illinois
ABOUT THE BLUES SOCIETY
This release is packed with plenty of music for your enjoyment and is available on most streaming platforms, so give it a listen.
Based in St. Louis, John Logan with THE LIX is a four-piece group that features John Logan handling Guitar and Vocals, Mike Graham on Bass, Benet Schaeffer on Drums and Frank Bauer on Saxophone.
Besides playing in John Logan with THE LIX, the guitarist also performs as the lead player in The Brother Jefferson Band. If you want more about John Logan you can visit JohnLoganMusicSTL.us
”Little Bird,” is the first title on this release. A neatly arranged shuffle that shows off Logan’s ability to blend a nice combination of rhythm and lead chops played by an experienced guitarist.
Slowing down a bit the EP’s second song “(She Likes it) Greasy” is a mix of down-home Texas Blues and storytelling. Once again Logan provides a blend of snappy leads for this selection and pays homage to some of the great Blues players of all time.
“Midnite in the City,” is third on the EP. This song gives Logan a chance to tell a sad story about someone having too many drinks at the local saloon. It also introduces Saxophonist Frank Bauer who provides a nice solo to the mix.
But Logan’s real exposure to Blues Music came sometime later in 1963 while his family relocated to the West Coast and where he got to see some of the great music playing at the local clubs. From the sounds of this EP, he really paid attention to what he was witnessing.
Logan’s desire to learn more led to many Sunday night open mic sessions and eventually at the age of 25 a regular Sunday gig at a place called Jabberwocky in Berkley, California where the young guitarist continued to sharpen his playing skills. The rest they say is just history.
“Baby’s Got A Lock On My Heart,” another of the EP’s selections, has a real nice Texas style thumping boogie to it. But I have to admit it sounds reminiscent of the 1963 Dave Dudley classic “Six Days On The Road.” The extended solo has plenty of twang to it. However, I would have liked to hear some more of Saxophonist Frank Bauer sound.
While most of this EP is played with a standard Blues feeling and tempo “”55 Thunderbird”, co-written with the help of bassist Mike Graham is what I refer to as Blues rapping. In this case, it’s about a nice catchy tune about a souped-up car at the local soda shop. Listen closely to the vocals to really enjoy the message.
Closing out the EP, “Brownville Women Blues,” features John Logan showing off his Blues chops on acoustic guitar picking and chording a straight forward song about a woman who seems to be busy with more than one man. The song is well played and is a nice way to finish the release.
Interested in seeing the band in person? Well, you’re in luck. John Logan with THE LIX will be appearing on Monday June 16th, at The Alamo in Springfield, Illinois as part of the Blue Monday showcase.
All in all, I think John Logan with THE LIX does a pretty good job of showcasing their Blues chops with this release. I enjoyed it and my guess is you’ll be hearing a lot more from this group in the near future.
— Rich Cibelli