Rhythm & Blueprints
The Renovators
Berger Platters
1999
15 tracks
Genre is a convenient way to classify bands and their music. However, because like any system it tends to be arbitrary, genre classification is rarely entirely accurate in its description of what the musicians are actually doing. This is certainly true in the case of much of the so-called blues being played and recorded across North America today. Like jazz in general, the blues form is open and welcoming to all sorts of influences, constantly growing and evolving.
Much of what is popularly called blues music today is not pure and traditional. It often draws on historic blues sources, but more often it is soundly rooted in the newer electric blues tradition that grew up in the middle of the last century. The way the music is played, however, is often more akin to the blues based rock and roll that was born at about the same time.
Most of the musicians may not even realize this. If asked, they will tell you what they play is the blues. And it is, but it's more than that. Like those old time rock and rollers, these artists take the blues and add elements of jazz and country, mix in a touch of rhythm and blues, and blend it all with personal touch all their own.
The result is that, while at surface it may seem to be all the same, given a closer look today's blues is no static artifact but a bright evolving creature shimmering with all the variegated hues of the many cultural influences it draws into itself. As the form continues to grow and articulate itself, this first decade of the new millenium promises to be a very exciting time for the blues.
The Renovators are part of this new tradition. The blues they play may just as easily be termed rock and roll. Rather than the always essential guitar, the centre of many of the songs on Rhythm & Blueprints is the rhythm section: the pounding drums of Ted Hemberger and the solid bass of Al Hemberger. Bob Rasero on guitar and Bob Mayo on guitar and keyboards wrap a sleek skin around those rhythmic bones and the groove comes alive. This music truly rocks.
It should. The musicians in this band come with impressive credentials, having played with or recorded many of the best in the business. The experience shows.
While most contemporary blues bands have a sound that takes us back to the best rock and roll of the mid- to late Fifties [usually not among the big hits], The Renovators bring something different to the music. It's still rock and roll, but the sound is more like what was being recorded in the early Sixties (especially "It's Been Done" and "The Big One"). While not abandoning that central blues sound, this music reflects a variety of newer influences including ska/reggae ("Blue Reggae"), and early Dickie Dale style surf music ("Bandaido" and several other tracks).
Several of the tracks on Rhythm & Blueprints show a distinct jazz influence. "Keep Dreamin'" and "You Snooze, You Lose" are excellent examples of the jazz approach that pervades this release.
This is not a release for those who listen to either the first track or the first few seconds of each song then decide to like it or not. The first track ("Rip Up The House") is a standard medium-tempo rocking blues. Most of the rest of the tracks feature familiar instrumental opening bars. Nothing too exciting there. Rhythm and Blueprints has much more to offer the listener who gives it a chance. This is a release full of surprises.
Among the sound treats served up by The Renovators are instrumental tracks ("Bandaido" and "Renovator's Boogie"), a spoken-word performance ("I Don't Ski"), jazz tracks, neo-Sixties pop-humour, surf-music, reggae [sounding very much like pre-reggae ska], and more.
The sound of this release is solid too. On too many compact disc releases, the drums sound thin. On Rhythm & Blueprints, the drums pound out like Krupa reincarnated, with a full, round sound. Much of the driving force of this release has as much to to with the quality of the production as with the instrumental skills of the players. The best example of this, and the best drum number on the CD, is the surf instrumental "Bandaido" with its unrelenting backbeat.
Complementing the very integrated instrumental mix, the vocals on this release are consistent and polished. The vocal style is what gives this release a lot of its very Sixties feel, with many tracks sounding like they might have been recorded in 1960 instead of forty years later. While these artists are not likely to make it on their singing ability alone, their capable vocals are ideally suited to the music they play and the overall impact is impressive.
For those listeners who enjoy a bit of variety in their blues, The Renovators' Rhythm & Blueprints may be just the ticket.
Those who would like to learn more about The Renovators can find them on the web at renovators-music.com.
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