Thursday , March 28 2024
Call it inspiration...

Verse Chorus Verse: Gerry Hundt – “That Woman!”

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blues.  There is a long-standing tradition in the blues idiom of artists borrowing liberally from one another.  I don't know if that is because artists weren't as proprietary about their material then as they are now or if it's because copyright laws weren't as sophisticated and stringently enforced.  Either way, it wasn't uncommon for artists to re-write others' material, making subtle changes to it. 

In today's musical culture there's a fine line between being inspired by another artist, song, or sound and being a clone.  There's no magic formula to determine what side of that line an artist will wind up on. 

Gerry Hundt's "That Woman!" is an example of taking the fabric of something great and using it to create something vibrant and new.  Portions of the melody bear a resemblance to Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied," but this is no ripoff or cheap imitation.  These two songs feel like different ways of telling the same story.  They share some of the same musical genes, but the spirit and vibe and energy are vastly different.

Hundt leads this song with his great mandolin and is backed by Willie Oshawny's piano, the harmonica of Bill Lupkin, and Josh Stimmel's guitar.  "That Woman" allows each soloist to expand, vary, and explore the song's melodic theme.  The rollicking groove laid down by drummer Bob Carter and bassist Nick Moss gives "That Woman!" a charge that results in an infectious energy coming from all the players.  Going to the source has inspired these musicians and that inspiration is heard and more importantly felt in every note.

About Josh Hathaway

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