Clark, MikeSaxman2002IndependentMCSAX2002

Clark, Mike - Saxman - 2002 - Independent - MCSAX2002

Written by John Taylor

Who's Mike Clark? I admit I'd never heard of him until I encountered his debut disc, Saxman. But a few familiar names on the credits - Johnny V and Amos Garrett on guitars, Richie Pollack on harmonica - convinced me there'd be some tasty playing. Indeed there is.

I'm not sure where Clark calls home - all I can say is it's in Western Canada - but apparently he's held a steady house gig for over 12 years now, and his experience shows in the carefully crafted arrangements on Saxman. Clark knows how to put a song together, and how to get what he wants from a band.

He's clearly in charge here, and he leads a fine ensemble through a mixed bag, from flat out rock 'n' roll, to rollicking funk, with deep blues and brassy R&B equally prominent in the mix. There are just a couple of shaky moments but on the whole this is a fine disc; I'm guessing, but my bet is Clark's waited a long time for this project to come about, and he's put his all into it.

Things start off with a pair of covers, a lively Flatfoot Sam and Cleanhead's Kidney Stew taken at an appealingly jaunty pace, with Clark proving himself a fine crooner with excellent phrasing.

Clark's Down Where The River Meets The Sea is a gorgeous ballad in the John Hiatt mould - think Hiatt's Feels Like Rain and you'll get the idea. Very tasteful, this one; I can't say the same about the title track, though. Borrowing the classic Willie And The Hand Jive riff is okay, but the lyrics don't inspire Clark vocally. There's a nice break, though, where Clark and the boys stretch out and explore the melody a bit. Things Ain't What They Used To Be features Clark multi-tracked to become a one-man horn section, with the band swinging mightily behind him. It's one of the liveliest takes on the tune I've ever heard.

Clark's Mr. MPC is a little "out there" for my tastes. It's just shy of three minutes of free-jazz improvisation but it does, however, segue nicely into a version of Standing On Shaky Ground, a tune that includes all the slippery funk the song demands.

Huggy Drunk may not bear repeated listenings, but it's a tune everyone ought to hear once; it's utterly hilarious, yet I bet many of us have known someone just like the song's hapless anti-hero. Old Black Dog is a gritty grinder with a menacing, swampy groove that features truly stellar guitar work. God Blind Me rides a bouncy riff fueled by high-octane harp from Richie Pollack.

Clark doesn't quite have the vocal chops to carry Since I Met You Baby alone, but after the first verse he starts getting support on the harmonies and the tune takes on sweetly swaying melody. He closes out with another nice segue into the rousing gospel harmonies of Divine Inspiration that leave one feeling genuinely uplifted.

Not quite essential to one's enduring good health, this one's nonetheless a fine disc, and well worth repeated listening. Clark's done a great job here.

Recommended!

Copyright 2003. Review by John Taylor.

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