GA-20
GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor: Try It…You Might Like It!
Colemine Records

Link: Official Site | Colemine Records

The way GA-20 crafts the blues, they disperse any feeling of cockiness and overly dramatic emotions to compel the listener with their humbleness. And they do the same with their tribute to Chicago blues icon Theodore Roosevelt “Hound Dog” Taylor.

On this modernized tribute, the group selected tracks from Taylor’s debut release, Hound Dog Taylor & The House Rockers, the 1974 album, Natural Boogie, and the 1976 album, Beware Of The Dog. What this serves is not just a great retrospective of the blues legend’s career, but a curated guide to the music and culture of how Taylor played a part in the history of Chicago blues.

From the soul vibrations of “Let’s Get Funky” to the roots rambling “It’s Allright,” GA-20 takes foundational blues and gives it a dose of studio steroids. But the way they push a slide guitar or rough up a drum cadence, we feel the originalism present.

GA-20—Let’s Get Funky Official Video

I can picture “Give Me Back My Wig” as a part of some mid-’60s teen rebellion flick. Kids are at some dance. Some may be sneaking out back to catch a smoke or get a drink out of the bottle. The band is front and center, dressed up in their best and hitting those synchronized moves while cranking out a mood unparalleled. Maybe some drama erupts somewhere. Maybe a fight breaks out. But at the core of emotions is the drive of this song. Of course, something like this song was not even conceived until the 1970s, but the mental dynamic is there.

GA-20 has made me think a lot more about Taylor’s work and his imprint in the world of blues as well as look at GA-20’s talent from a new perspective. From Stevie Ray Vauhan to Luther Allison, many artists tackled the aesthetic of Taylor’s sound. But no one like GA-20 has given Taylor’s work so much care and love in their research. A must for your collection.

Tracklist

1. She’s Gone
2. Let’s Get Funky
3. Sitting At Home Alone
4. Phillips Goes Bananas
5. It’s Alright
6. Give Me Back My Wig
7. It Hurts Me Too
8. See Me In The Evening
9. Sadie
10. Hawaiian Boogie