Mark Nomad: Razor’s Edge
(2004 | Blue Star Productions)

First appearances, you see just another guy in a two tone shirt with no bowling insignias. But then you cue the CD…..Wow! This Massachusetts based artist kicks it in gear immediately with a self title piece called “They call me Nomad”. Doing vocal, guitar and harmonica, it is best to get out of the way cause this guy means business. Stellar back up primarily by Geoff Lutley on bass and Tracy Sherman on drums. Other artists include Peter King and Jerry Ellis on bass, Dale Monette, and Billy Klock on drums, Doug Jones and Dan Lundy on Saxophones, Fred McIntosh Hammond B-3 and Sandra Wright and Susan Duncan providing vocals.

“I go to work” pleads with a spouse or future ex’spouse, to lighten up! I carry the burden, employment. Leave me be! “Coming Home to You” departs from the electric and takes you on a bottle neck acoustic journey. No this man’s just happy to be thinkin’ about his woman. “Razor’s Edge” brings back the full band with an electric slide guitar. The tune talks about the paths one takes and how sometime it pushes back!

“Kickstand” adds to the heat with a up tempo instrumental tune featuring fine guitar with the of some nicely placed saxophone. “Green Eyes” comes creepin’ in like some ole Howlin’ Wolf tune. Nice work between the guitar and harp parts gives it a urban-ghetto kinda feel. A tipping of the hat to the Delta with the Skip James’s tune “Special Rider”. Very cleanly played, nicely resonating the voice and the strings together. I was ready to order another drink after this tune. “Your special rider is dead!” Now that is the blues! Yeah!

“Meet in the Bottom”, John Lee Hooker standard that’s been covered by the world and then some. Mark Nomad’s version has a decided South Side of Chicago/Hound Dog Taylor feel. Little bit of slide… little bit of fuzz tone.. pretty rockin! “Waitin’ on You” is a Nomad composition reflecting a little Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. A few more “whoops” thrown into the mix and we’d be off chasing hounds and raccoons! Mark finishes this effort with “So Bad“, an electric slide number that pleads the case of love not returned. Very melodic slide, with shades of Derek and Elvin Bishop detected. www.marknomad.com

I would like to see this band play outside in a beer garden on a hot summer night! Just the way I see it from the Left Coast.

Jim