MITCH KASHMAR "LIVE AT LABATT" Source: Jazz & Blues Date: 11/2008 Writer: Ron Weinstock

California harp-meister, Mitch Kashmar, has a very easy to listen to new release here that should appeal to fans of the West Coast harp blues such as put down by Rod Piazza and the late William Clarke. Recorded at the Labatt’s Edmonton Blues Festival by the CBC in August 2007, the solid harp and authoritative vocals of Kashmar is backed by former Clarke guitarist, John Marx; drummer Tom Lackner; bassist Steve Nelson; and pianist Jimmy Calire.

From the opening with the hot shuffle “I Got No Reason,” to the closing instrumental romp, Al Sears’ “Castle Rock,” Kashmar, Marx and the rest get the groove a kicking and Kashmar brings off these soulful and ebullient performances. There is no pretense about extending the blues here, as this is nothing but the blues, not re-badged rock. The music has that relaxed intensity characteristic of most of the best blues. Even when the tempo is very hot, the music never gets overly frenzied, and when they get into a shuffle groove, as on Kashmar’s “Dirty Deal,” it is simply a joy to listen to, dance to or however one grooves to the blues.

He is pretty eclectic in his song sources, including a nice, slow “Whiskey Headed Woman,” credited to alto saxophone bop legend, Lou Donaldson; “Evil Man Blues,” a retitled version of Leonard Feather’s “Evil Gal Blues,” that was a smash for Dinah Washington (not Bessie Smith as Kashmar wrongly credits); Horace Silver’s “Song For My Father,” with nice chromatic harp and piano; “Sugar Sweet,” from Muddy Waters’ repertoire; Jimmy Rogers’ “You’re the One,” taken at a loping beat with Marx taking a swinging solo; and Roy Brown’s jump blues, “Lollipop Mama,” which is done as a tribute to William Clarke (“We drank a lot of afternoon beer with that man”) and Kashmar and the band rock like tomorrow will never come.

After Kashmar’s relaxed shuffle, “Wake Up and Worry,” he closes out with another jazzy instrumental that was an R&B hit for the legendary Johnny Hodges, “Castle Rock.” It is hard to find any fault with the music here. Sure, it doesn’t break any new ground, but it is a mighty fine blues album and that should be more than enough to recommend it to many.