Take Your Time Mr. Brown - The Sugar Kings
Between
1997 and 2002, the Sugar Kings were a popular group that performed their
unique brand of traditional and original Americana music throughout the
upper midwest. A decidedly left of center trio, they were dedicated to
taking American roots musical forms out of the archives and infusing them
with the spark and vitality they deserve. This attitude is evident on
their only release, Take Your Time Mr. Brown. Released in early
2000 it became an instant hit on acoustic radio programs throughout the
midwest, as well as a critic's favorite. Using a big, greasy serving of
blues and jug-band music as a starting point, then adding for additional
flavor, everything from pre-World War II Jazz and Western Swing to Tom
Waits to their own off-kilter imaginations, The Sugar Kings wound up with
one of the freshest releases of acoustic music to be heard in far too
long.
The CD features: Cam Waters on vocals, guitar and hi-hat cymbal whacking, Clint Hoover on diatonic and chromatic harp and vocals; and the tuba and trombone of Steve Sandberg.
This CD will be of special interest to fans of pre-war harmonica. Having studied the styles of early pioneer harpists such as Jazz Guillam and Blues Birdhead, Clint Hoover goes about reinvigorating this tradition with his own unique approach.
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For information
on how to purchase any one of these CDs contact:
Clint Hoover
clint@clinthoover.com
| "The Sugar Kings are a new generation of players in the tradition of Koerner, Ray and Glover, yet with a spirit and sophistication that is uniquely theirs. Listening to this collection, I concluded that the Sugar Kings are cooler than a gin rickey sipped on a New Orleans balcony on a warm spring evening." |
| -Tom Hendrickson, Twin Cities Blues News |
| "Best of the Box: What could be more fun than a retro combo with tuba, resonator guitar, old-school ragtime harmonica riffs and clanky washboard rhythm?" |
| -Ed Ivey, Blues Revue |
| "Take your time, Mr. Brown ties these vintage tunes together into a cohesive, easy-going piece that goes down like fine sippin' whiskey. And despite the antique vintage of the bulk of the selections, the vocal deliveries of Waters and Hoover manage to at once respect the sources while keeping the presentation engaged and alive. This is a real winner and highly recommended." |
| -Jim Musser, Iowa City Press-Citizen |
| "Clint has a style that virtually transcends the instrument. His work offers a breath of fresh air that avoids the clichés of harp playing...probably the best test of a CD is that even after countless listenings the songs still sound fresh and interesting, never predictable or plodding." |
| Phil Lloyd, American Harmonica Newsmagazine |
| "Take the time to give the Sugar Kings a Listen." |
| -Dirty Linen Magazine |
| "All three members play music from old 78s as if it were their birthright...Guitarist Cam Waters is a confident and colorful enough singer to bridge all those backroads of Americana, Clint Hoover quietly amazes with an assortment of harps and Steve sandbergs tuba lines give the band its special jolly bounce and character." |
| -Tom Surowicz, Minneapolis Star & Tribune |
| "...refreshing...It manages to be both respectful of the musical traditions that inspire it snd at the same time revisit these standards with arrangements that sound different and new." |
| -Benoit Felten, Planet Harmonica |