03
Jan
2006
Last year, the Mercury Brothers produced a CD, Whiskey Kisses, and won the Iowa Blues Challenge. Later this month, the quartet will compete in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge.
Not bad for a band formed in February 2005.
The Mercury Brothers will be celebrating all those accomplishments - and raising money for that impending Memphis trip - at a pair of events this weekend: Friday at the Rocket Theatre in Rock Island and Saturday at East Moline's Torchlight.
Led by guitarist and primary songwriter Wade Braggs, the band's electric blues are crisp and clean but not overly starched. The group - also featuring drummer Daniel Rangel, bassist Mark Avey, and singer/harpist Ricardo Burris - plays loose even on its debut CD (no small accomplishment), and although the recording lacks a depth of sound, its skill and range are impressive.
Overall, the Mercury Brothers bring a freshness to the blues, from a clever song title ("Sin & Tonic") to an approach that stresses variety and surprise. Whiskey Kisses is a filling blues sampler, showing off the ensemble's versatility and especially the guitar prowess of the 29-year-old Braggs. What's most shocking is the level of maturity and restraint in both songwriting and performance; there's nothing on the CD that crosses the line into musical boasting, yet there's a ton of talent on display.
At the outset, it's evident there's something different about the Mercury Brothers. The CD kicks off with a nimble solo acoustic blues by Braggs, clearly in the tradition but with a modern dexterity and delicacy. The tune is not only played well; it's a strong composition, and a brave choice for a lead track, given that the performer is essentially naked, without the benefit of a band or vocals to cover him up.
That confidence is evident throughout, even as the band explores a wide swath of the blues, from the laid-back vocal-dominated "Last Night" to the raucous, bruising, rockabilly-infused barroom blues of "Crooked as a Snake" to the bass-heavy funk of "10 Lb. Baby." The soulful slow groove of "Burnin' House" features a sleepy interplay between guitar and harmonica and moments in which Bragg's expressive instrument achieves a genuinely lovely, almost poignant tone. The latter track is also Burris' finest moment; his voice is heartfelt without ever being showy or over-emotive, and he positively smolders. He also shines in the smoky, hoarse, and hushed singing of "Dying Breath."
The upbeat dance tunes - particularly "Pawn My Soul" and "Your Turn to Pay" - feel more rote than I'd like, and the CD seems a bit calculated in touching all its blues bases; while the variety is welcome, it results in a recording that's too unfocused for its own good.
Whiskey Kisses also suffers somewhat from a thin sound. With no apparent overdubs - tha album sounds as if it was tracked live - the listener is left with the four players, and while the instruments are well-defined, there's a general lack of fullness and detail.
Yet the band's ability to master many different styles of the blues makes it easy to forgive the band's first-CD missteps. Whiskey Kisses sounds like an audition for a larger audience, and it succeeds in spades.
The Mercury Brothers will perform on Friday, January 6, at the Rocket Theatre in Rock Island on a triple bill also featuring John Resch & the Detroit Blues with Shane Johnson and Hal Reed & the Mob. On Saturday, January 7, the Mercury Brothers will play a CD-release party at Torchlight in East Moline.
For more information on the band, visit (http://www.mercurybrothers.com).
The Mercury Brothers will be celebrating all those accomplishments - and raising money for that impending Memphis trip - at a pair of events this weekend: Friday at the Rocket Theatre in Rock Island and Saturday at East Moline's Torchlight.
Led by guitarist and primary songwriter Wade Braggs, the band's electric blues are crisp and clean but not overly starched. The group - also featuring drummer Daniel Rangel, bassist Mark Avey, and singer/harpist Ricardo Burris - plays loose even on its debut CD (no small accomplishment), and although the recording lacks a depth of sound, its skill and range are impressive.
Overall, the Mercury Brothers bring a freshness to the blues, from a clever song title ("Sin & Tonic") to an approach that stresses variety and surprise. Whiskey Kisses is a filling blues sampler, showing off the ensemble's versatility and especially the guitar prowess of the 29-year-old Braggs. What's most shocking is the level of maturity and restraint in both songwriting and performance; there's nothing on the CD that crosses the line into musical boasting, yet there's a ton of talent on display.
At the outset, it's evident there's something different about the Mercury Brothers. The CD kicks off with a nimble solo acoustic blues by Braggs, clearly in the tradition but with a modern dexterity and delicacy. The tune is not only played well; it's a strong composition, and a brave choice for a lead track, given that the performer is essentially naked, without the benefit of a band or vocals to cover him up.
That confidence is evident throughout, even as the band explores a wide swath of the blues, from the laid-back vocal-dominated "Last Night" to the raucous, bruising, rockabilly-infused barroom blues of "Crooked as a Snake" to the bass-heavy funk of "10 Lb. Baby." The soulful slow groove of "Burnin' House" features a sleepy interplay between guitar and harmonica and moments in which Bragg's expressive instrument achieves a genuinely lovely, almost poignant tone. The latter track is also Burris' finest moment; his voice is heartfelt without ever being showy or over-emotive, and he positively smolders. He also shines in the smoky, hoarse, and hushed singing of "Dying Breath."
The upbeat dance tunes - particularly "Pawn My Soul" and "Your Turn to Pay" - feel more rote than I'd like, and the CD seems a bit calculated in touching all its blues bases; while the variety is welcome, it results in a recording that's too unfocused for its own good.
Whiskey Kisses also suffers somewhat from a thin sound. With no apparent overdubs - tha album sounds as if it was tracked live - the listener is left with the four players, and while the instruments are well-defined, there's a general lack of fullness and detail.
Yet the band's ability to master many different styles of the blues makes it easy to forgive the band's first-CD missteps. Whiskey Kisses sounds like an audition for a larger audience, and it succeeds in spades.
The Mercury Brothers will perform on Friday, January 6, at the Rocket Theatre in Rock Island on a triple bill also featuring John Resch & the Detroit Blues with Shane Johnson and Hal Reed & the Mob. On Saturday, January 7, the Mercury Brothers will play a CD-release party at Torchlight in East Moline.
For more information on the band, visit (http://www.mercurybrothers.com).
