Blues and Folks – Loomis, Carroll and O’Connor!

So over the last few days I’ve been listening to two albums from artists that I listened to briefly, decided I really didn’t care for them so I haven’t really listened since then. Shame on me! Both of the artists are from Texas one is a blues man, Hamilton Loomis and the other a folkie, well, actually two folkies Adam Carroll and Michael O’Connor. I listened to Loomis’ 2010 release Live in England and Carroll and O’Connor’s Hard Times.

Hamilton Loomis’ mentor, was the great Bo Diddley whose advice to Loomis was “Innovate don’t imitate!” And Loomis has done just that and according to his website:”The Texas sensation is at the forefront of bringing roots music into the 21st century and redefining it for a contemporary audience” In addition to Didley Loomis has also been helped along the way by great: Johnny “Clyde” Copeland, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, and Albert Collins not a bad trio. The multi-instrumentalist (he played all the instruments on his debut album Hamilton as well as the follow-up “Ain’t Just Temporary”) Loomis plays blues based music that All Music Guide calls “…a mixed bag of modern blues, modern funk, and slick soul.”. Bo Didley said:

“You gotta put some seasonin’ in what you’re doing,
….and this boy’s got the whole salt shaker”

All fourteen of the tracks have some great guitar and funky organ a few of my favorite favorites are “What It Is”, “Bow Wow” and Get My Blues On”. Oh and then there’s Hamilton’s cover of Bo Didley’s “Who Do You Love”. So check it out!!

I have to cut it short now, because we’re going to see Flogging Molly tonight at the Electric Factory! So I will write more about Adam Carroll and Michael O’Connor tomorrow. But I will say now that I really liked everything about the laid back good time feel of Hard Times just a great all around album.

Here’s Adam and Michael performing my favorite song from the album “Billy Gibbons Beard”

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