JB: Well, that is out at CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com/madhattie). That was a band that I had when I was here in Portland, and that one, too, has quite a few great players; some of whom are on my dad�s CD. It�s more of a departure from any kind of blues or R&B�eclectic electric bluegrass. There are some really interesting, different grooves and actually some challenging drumming on that one. Just as a side note, there were no overdubs on the percussion because I played a very odd drum kit with that band.
DW: With different time signatures�
JB: Different time signature and sometimes I�d be playing the drum kit, a washboard and tambourine and cowbells, so all the percussion that�s going on is actually live. I think the only overdub, on one song, was when we did a few hits on a garbage can.
DW: Hey, whatever works [laughing]. This isn�t your first time playing in Canada, is it?
JB: No, I�ve been in Canada several times over the years, starting back with Mark Hummel, actually, but then also with Rod and Honey. I think it�s been mostly with�I�ve been with Kim [Wilson] now for almost nine or ten years�I originally started with Kim in 1996. Yeah, it�s coming up to a decade, so I�ve been to Canada several times. We always found the audiences to be very enthusiastic, very knowledgeable. There are a lot of great players up there, too!
DW: The Fabulous Thunderbirds are performing on the main stage at the Southside Shuffle on Friday, September 9 and then at the Starlight Lounge in Waterloo the following two nights. I guess the band will be doing songs from Painted On, the new CD?
JB: Yes, we�ve selected a few of those. It�s been doing really well. I think it got �Pick of the Month� with Mojo. It�s a good record. It�s got sort of a mid-later T-Birds sound, in that it�s got some blues on it and it�s also got some rock songs. Some stuff is pretty cool, which I wish we were playing, like �Feeling My Way Around�, which is an old Earl King song. �Postman� has been going over really well and that features guitarist Kirk Fletcher; he�s a star in his own right. He really knows how to get to an audience. I think there�s something for everybody on it.
Painted On sounds like a band playing live, but in a studio�everybody�s playing live off the floor. You can buy the CD and then go see the band, and that is the band that is on the CD. Likewise, you can go and see the band and purchase the CD later and know you�re getting what you just saw and heard. That�s the first time this has happened with The Thunderbirds in a long time, I think maybe 10 or 15 years, because there have been so many personnel changes in the band.
DW: Well, thanks for your time, Jimi.
JB: You�re welcome � I hope you can make it to the Southside Shuffle.
[See next page for a review and additional photos of the Fabulous Thunderbirds @ Southside - dw]
Copyright "Rockin' the Blues from Canada" (2005) - All Rights Reserved
- Healey's - Sept. 8/05
Photo reprinted with kind permission by Mako Funasaka of Talkin' Blues
To read a review of the 2005 Southside Shuffle,
