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1. Stranded 2. Frosty 3. I Feel Alright Again 4. Sunrise Cajun Style 5. Sometimes I Slip 6. One More Mile 7. The Drifter 8. Real Life 9. Okie Dokie Stomp 10. Information Blues 11. Gatemouth Walks to Board 12. Dollar Got the Blues

Here's a name that you may or may not recognize; guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown has to be one of the most praised blues guitarists on the planet by fellow musicians, yet he is far from being a household name. Why he isn't more widely acclaimed is somewhat puzzling; Brown's voice, while not virtuosic, certainly emotes a great deal of charm, and his guitar playing is always soulful and exciting.

Culled from three separate albums from the early 1980's, Okie Dokie Stomp is a great compilation the music Brown recorded for the Rounder label. The guitarist is in top form for all 12 tracks, aggressively punctuating his vocals with his signature "punchy" guitar riffs (a sound he accomplishes by pulling the strings with his thumb and forefinger.) Not content to dazzle on guitar alone, Brown also picks up the violin and harmonica for a track each, and proves himself to be more than capable on both instruments.

Gatemouth has always been labelled by critics as the "jazziest" of the traditional blues players, but Brown proves this accusation is somewhat unfounded on Okie Dokie Stomp. While Brown perhaps approaches blues from a slightly different angle than many of his contemporaries; he tends to treat each chord in his songs individually, rather than taking a more traditional, basic approach of blanketing an entire song with one scale; the result is 100 percent pure blues (although, being labelled a "blues player" is apparently something the big Texan guitarist despises.) Brown is actually quite an altogether different guitarist, with a completely different style, than someone like B.B. King, for example, in that he is much less of a minimalist. Although he never plays with blinding speed, Brown likes to fill up the space in his music with notes.

The rhythm section can make or break blues recordings. For no matter how impressive the frontman is, if the bass and drums aren't grooving underneath him, the music just won't have any energy. Thankfully, the players on Okie Dokie Stomp are excellent; understated but extremely solid. Listening to the opening shuffle "Stranded" without pounding your knee is virtually impossible. The addition of some fine horn soloists on Okie Dokie Stomp offsets Brown's guitar playing nicely, and helps break up the monotony that could have set in on what is essentially an album full of 12-bar blues'.

The only minor flaw to be found in Okie Dokie Stomp is with the production. The rhythm and horn sections on many tracks sound altogether too slick; recorded far too cleanly to suit the style of music. It's a minor quibble, though, and shouldn't prevent any fans of blues guitar from checking out this great release.
-Dan Cross

Order Okie Dokie Stomp (a budget-priced issue) from Borders.com

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