Tom Buckmiller – River City Blues Attack
self release
11 songs time-44:48
Tom Buckmiller brings roots music, rock and a touch of blues from the heartland of Iowa. Tom is a professor of Education at Drake University(Des Moines) and teaches a class to first year students on the blues each fall. He is also the co-chair of the Iowa Blues Hall Of Fame Committee. He handles the singing while Matt Woods lends his masterful guitar skills. All the other musicians on the album are first rate.
Matt Woods contributes Elmore James style slide guitar to “Dirty Dog”. Recycled Chuck Berry guitar licks pervade “Hot Mess Maggie”, a track that includes sax by Heath Alan Pattschull. A guitar riff reminiscent of The Rolling Stones is used on the rocker “Josephine”, shades of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. It even uses a Bobby Keyes-like sax. Heath overlays a sax section on the jump blues “So Good”.
More good instrumental treatment on “Listenin’ And Seein'”. Sarah Ling joins for a duet on the slow ballad “The Way Things Used To Be”. Bob Pace adds his guitar to the funky guitar-charged “Can’t Feel Your Love No More”. Tom’s vocal is lively here with a nice touch of hoarseness to it.
Bob Pace returns with his crafty harmonica this time for “Big Dakota Love”, a song with a good steady groove and a relentless guitar attack. Once again a song with killer guitar in “Whiskey Man”. “Blues Man With A Mini Van” is about life on the road.
A good slice of Midwestern roots music covering various elements of everyday life. A good choice of sympathetic musicians for this project. Matt Woods in particular stands out for his exemplary guitar skills deft production skills. It would be worthwhile checking out Matt’s own band Matt Woods And The Thunderbolts. Tom has presented a strong representation of heartland music.
