11 June 2015 (gig)
07 July 2015
If you want your blues-groove with a heavy dose of showmanship, than look no further than at Texan-born Hamilton Loomis and his band! At his recent gig at the Edinburgh Blues Club, Loomis and his compadres delivered a killer show that just went on and on – while the multiple and impressive solo interludes added further to the zest.
A seasoned musician who not only is an expert songwriter but also a gifted multi-instrumentalist, Loomis manages to keep his tracks fresh and modern while at the same time staying true to the good ole blues roots. Delivering two blistering sets comprised of songs from his various albums, the evening kicked off with ‘Eternally’, a song about the end of the Mayan calendar. A slick composition with plenty of soul, this sure went off to a promising start.
Making use of his harmonica (a converted piece from a vacuum cleaner!), next song ‘She’s Had Enough’ displayed an almost funky rock groove infused with a bluesy edge. The instrumental duet between Loomis and ace sax player Fabian Hernandez demonstrate just how tuned in and at ease the band is. Mind you, Loomis’ efforts to involve the punters into singing along to the chorus turned out hard work indeed.
‘Give It Back’, the title song of Loomis’ new album, was dedicated to BB King and is basically a song about the learning curve of an aspiring musician who one day is master enough to ‘give back’ what he learned from the old masters. A rather restraint arrangement is peppered with Hernandez’ exquisite sax solo.
Things got cranked up on the heavily funk-riff infused ‘Lovin You Makes Me High’ and here it was the combined team-work of Loomis and bassist Dante Warren that stood out, all synchronised moves and once again Loomis’ vacuum cleaner harmonica added to the vibe. A real scorcher that!
Equally brilliant was ‘Bow Wow’ – Loomis’ tribute to Johnny Guitar Watson. Suffice to say it was another riff-heavy affair, juxtaposed with Fabian on keys.
After the advise “Let your feelings show” it was time for a break, though not as far as Loomis was concerned. Far from it! While the other musicians briefly left the stage for some refreshments (in Fabian’s case, to get some back air into lungs) Loomis just went on like the Duracell bunny, delighting his fans with guitar solos played while standing on various chairs across the venue. And could I detect some kick-ass Led Zep riffs on that occasion? Wicked!
Break over, and Loomis declared ‘I Was Stuck In A Rut’ (Now I’m In A Groove). A lengthy bass solo by ‘bass in your face’ Dante Ware went down a treat, all nicely held together by Armando Aussenac on drums.
The tightly executed ‘Best Worst Day’ with Fabian on keys and on sax, and the energetic ‘Partner in Crime’ with its soul-clap turned out to be more highlights.
The Hamilton Loomis Band is an accomplished quartet with seriously talented musicians that deliver the goods to the max. Catch them live if you can!
