Soundcheck
magazine
Motorcity
Josh & The Big 3 at The Compass - September 20, 2002
Pete Feenstra - Soundcheck magazine
It's
very rare you come across something genuinely different
in the blues idiom. Step right up Motorcity Josh.
For
while the band's blues ancestors clearly belong in the Albert
Collins and to a lesser extent Albert King bag, the exuberant
guitar playing, humorous vocalist Josh takes in the spirit
of Elvin Bishop, adds an avalanche of swing, and tops it
all with his own unique style of playing and big personality.
Motorcity
Josh & The Big 3 are clearly a band for whom the notion
of slipping into a groove all night would never be enough.
Sure there's an insistent funky undertow to the title track
of their last album "Going To The Country", but
as the band demonstrated on the hugely impressive and humorous
"Big City Hillbilly", they are not afraid to follow
Josh's spontaneous flights of musical fancy which can be
anything from a mid number rockabilly swing sweep to an
extended, almost parody of an outro.
Topping
all this unlikely mayhem is Josh's big toned guitar. The
band had apparently barely touched down from a long haul
flight when they had to drive to a couple of hours to pick
up their back line, then drive directly to the gig, and
without an pause for breath, blast straight into a wonderful
set. And still the band conjured up an awesome fat tone!
On
"Little Hoochie Mama", the band swings like crazy
and Josh and brother Caleb on guitar traded licks with evident
joy, while on the hugely impressive "The Funkin' Blues
Are Killing Me" they came close to a smooth Percy Mayfield
style that gave the band a great opportunity to stretch
out&ldots; which of course Georgia's finest did to the
max as the crowd roared them on.
Motorcity
Josh can be filed under good time funky blues with tons
of spontaneity and the contemporary ghost of Albert Collins
and the occasional fishing song. You'll have to catch them
live to realize the sweet soul funk of "The Skillet",
and the basso profundo vocals of the remarkable Josh Ford. |
REVIEW