Search - Scott Henderson :: Dog Party

BARKIN' UP THE BLUES !

Patrick Earley | Edmond, Oklahoma USA | 11/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Henderson's first album from 1994. I can see why this cd got so many rave reviews after it came out. It's filled with more than enough killer hooks and mind-blowing guitar work to fill any void left by Stevie Ray. But like most all blues rock albums I listen to nowadays, I often tend to focus more on the music and overlook the lyrics. Because after all, most modern day blues artists like to keep it simple when it comes to adding those cumberson words to their music. But this one isn't that typical "my baby left me and I lost my job" type of blues album. First of all, as you might have deduced from the title, this cd deals with dogs. That's right, all the music here refers to the trials and tribulations of a typical day in the life of a dog. But if you listen a little closer, you'll see that all those animal instincts and nasty habits that you're average canine tends to have without apology, can also be applied to humans. Henderson cross-references this stuff in such a clever way that I couldn't help but laugh from seeing myself and some of my doggy tendencies in some of these songs. But, getting back to the music: From the first tune on, this cd will grab you by the lobes of your ears and suck you right in. The opener "Hole Diggin" is an instrumental played at a fast and furious pace with a lot of SRV style to it. After this it only gets better with the slow burnin' "Fence Climbin' Blues". Man, I can't emphasize enough how good a player Henderson is. He's got about 3 minutes of solo guitar work in this song that left me sittin' with my headphones on and my jaw locked on open. Technically, with his jazz background and all, there may not be a better guitar player playing today. And I'm not overstating the fact. I've had this cd for a while, and it never ceases to amaze me. As for the rest of the music, you get the idea, it's all good. And he even does a finger snappin' cover of "Hound Dog" that's enough to make any dog do a 4 paw strut across the floor. The only thing else I can say is get your grubby claws on this and don't let go. "Dog Party" definitly gets an enthusiastic 5 barks up."

Great "alternative" blues Cd

Shackelman | Atlanta, GA | 08/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Henderson steps outside of the framework of your basic I-IV-V blues progression and displays a harmonic vocabulary that you would have to search far and wide to equal. His tone is great, his phrasing is great. Though purists may not like it as much you can still hear the SRV-ish licks (and even some direct rip-offs too) but he employs them in a fashion that is complimentary rather than offensive.

Throw in some silly lyrics and it's just a real enjoyable time to listen to this CD.

Henderson is a monster in so many ways, namely fusion, but in a sea of overworked and regurgatated blues players I'd say this one shines above most others too."

A musicians musician

C. Fisher | Atlanta, GA | 12/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although the theme of this entire Cd is flipantly dedicated to Dogs there is nothing funny about his technique and taste when ti comes to playing the guitar. Scott is well known in Jazz circles playing with Chick Corea and as a co-founder of Tribal Tech, his successful venture into the Blues/Rock realm is a pleasant surprise. As a guitar player myself for 30+ years all I can say Scott, you're my hero."