Monthly Album Spotlight: The Headcutters - Walkin' in USA
One of the best stories to come out of the blues world way back in the fall of 2014 was the long awaited and much anticipated Headcutters tour of the United States. This band, which hails from the southern Brazilian port city of Itajaí, in the State of Santa Catarina on the Atlantic Ocean, fulfilled a lifelong dream to play blues music in the country from which these sounds emanated.
I first met the band’s vocalist and harmonica player Joe Marhofer on Facebook (where else) back in 2012. It was then he first expressed to me his dream. To be able to witness first hand his vision come to fruition was simply a thrill. Marhofer and his three band mates are childhood friends who started traveling down the blues road together at a very young age. His fellow travelers are guitarist and vocalist Ricardo Maca, bass player Arthur “Catuto” Garcia and drummer Leandro “Cavera” Barbeta.
After listening to the band’s 2010 debut album, Back To 50’s, I conducted an in-depth interview with Marhofer in 2013. That interview, which can be found in the archive section of our site, was conducted prior to the release of their sophomore album entitled, Shake That Thing. On that album the band continued to delve into the sounds of post war, down home, electric Chicago blues. Their brand new album, Walkin’ In USA continues that tradition.
Walkin’ In USA was in fact made in the U.S.A. The first ten tracks were recorded in the San Diego, California, suburb of La Mesa on analog tape at the home studio of the ubiquitous Big Jon Atkinson. Atkinson sings on two of these tracks and plays guitar on eight others. Guitarist Danny Michel also plays on three tracks.
The album’s last three songs (listed as bonus tracks) were recorded at Mark Mumea’s Devil’s Tale Studios in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles. On these tunes Mumea plays guitar. The bass player and vocalist from Mumea’s band The Silver Kings, Jerry Careaga, takes over vocal duties.
Not only is Walkin’ In USA a celebration of their working holiday in America, its release here, on Chico Blues Records in the spring of 2015, also commemorates the band’s fifteen years of playing together. Their reverence for this style of blues is so intense and all encompassing that they studied and practiced for a decade before they dared to record this type of material.
The Headcutters also spent some time backing up American musicians traveling to Brazil. They include Phil Guy, Eddie C. Campbell, Kim Wilson, Billy Flynn, Bob Stroger, Billy Branch, J.J. Jackson, Lynwood Slim, Mitch Kashmar and Omar Coleman, among others.
On Walkin’ In USA a couple of Headcutter originals, California Beakdown and Hard Drinkin’ Man stand alongside tunes such as Big Walter Horton’s, Need You Baby, John Brim’s Be Careful What You Do, Elmore James’ I’m Worried, Jimmy Reed’s The Sun Is Shining, Big Maceo’s Worried Life Blues, Howlin’ Wolf’s Moanin’ For My Baby, Rice Miller’s (Sonny Boy 2) Keep Your Hand Out of My Pocket, Little Walter Jacob’s One More Chance With You and others.
The singing and playing throughout Walkin’ In USA is superb. What makes this band so great is that they hear things in this music most musicians and fans simply can’t perceive. Of course they found in Atkinson, Michel, Mumea and Careaga four like minded cats who have the same hearing acuity and reverence for this music. On Walkin’ In USA these musicians find the elusive essence of the ensemble sound that made this music so special in the first place. The band and their guests imbibe each track with a raw energy as well as subtlety and nuance, a rare combination to be sure.
Walkin’ In USA is the perfect memento of their American tour. The band performed fourteen shows in twenty eight days, in eighteen cities, in five states. The album’s intelligent packaging also contains an eight page booklet that not only includes detailed recording information and song credits, but a couple dozen photos from their travels to the home of the blues.
Walkin’ In USA is the Headcutters’ finest album to date. It exceeded my loftiest expectations and receives my highest recommendation. Congratulations to Catuto, Cavera, Maca and Big Joe!
-David Mac
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