Old Pal Records
Set to Release New CD from Hank Mowery, Account to Me, on August
6
Album Offers an
Appreciation of the Late Blues Singer/Harmonica Player Gary Primich and Features
Five of His Songs, Including Two Previously
Unrecorded
Tunes
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Old Pal Records announces an August 6
release date for
Account to Me, the new CD from singer/harmonica
player Hank Mowery featuring five songs written by the late singer/harmonica
player Gary Primich, including two previously-unrecorded tunes.
Account to
Me will be available for sale through CD Baby and iTunes, with
additional sales info available at
www.hankmowery.com.
“We don’t consider this a ‘tribute’ CD, but more of a
collaboration with the Primich family,” says Hank Mowery about the new album,
which also features Gary’s former bassist Patrick Recob, and detailed liner
notes about the songs as well as Primich’s importance to blues by Severn Records
singer/harmonica player Tad Robinson, a long-time friend.
Account to Me showcases five Primich
compositions: “Put the Hammer Down,” “My Home” and “Pray for a Cloudy Day,” plus
two unearthed never-before-recorded songs, “Tricky Game” and the title track;
two Hank Mowery originals; a new song from Patrick Recob; and covers of Memphis
Slim’s “Banana Oil” and Rev. Robert Wilkins’ “That’s No Way to Get Along.” All
of the tracks fit together seamlessly and one could imagine very easily Gary
Primich, himself, recording an album such as this.
“‘Account to Me” is just a classic Gary tune,” says Mowery
about the newly-discovered song. “He was such a great story teller and this
really paints a picture that is hard to listen to at times, knowing his
history. On the vocal track we kept, I almost had to stop multiple times and
could barely get through it. I just kept thinking about him writing this and
his family hearing it for the first time...it still gives me a lump in my
throat. After the song ended, it wasn't perfect but I knew I would never get as
close to that song as I was in that moment, so we kept it.
Mowery calls the other new song, “Tricky Game,” “another
classic Gary tune, with a lot of meaning and a touch of humor. We were all in
the studio looking at Gary's lyrics trying to figure out what direction to take
on the song and what Gary was thinking on a couple of the parts. We were having
a lot more trouble on this than with ‘Account to Me.’ Our piano player, Chris
Corey, quietly stood up, walked over to the piano and played a lick....we all
stopped and said ‘that's it!’ At that point everyone stood up and started
working on their parts; it was a great moment and maybe one of the most creative
moments I have ever been a part of,” he recalls.
The Hank Mowery originals include the album’s opener,
“Spend a Little Time,” a rocking barroom blueser that kicks off the CD in grand
style; and “If I Knew What I Know,” which asks the universal question we all ask
when tragedy happens to a friend. “I had the idea for the song right after Gary
passed in 2007 but never finished it,” Mowery remembers. Maybe a little too
honest for me at the time, but when we started this project I knew it was time
to finish it.”
The catalyst for recording Account to Me had
its beginnings in 2012 when Mowery did a tribute show in Grand Rapids for Gary
on the fifth anniversary of his death. Mowery and Primich had first met in 1995
when Hank was running a blues club in Grand Rapids and the two hit it off really
well, with Mowery booking Gary anytime he came through town. After he left the
club, Mowery stayed in touch with Primich and when he knew Gary was struggling
with some issues, flew the bluesman into Grand Rapids to do a couple so shows to
help his friend. Another trip was planned for the following year but never
happened because of Gary’s death.
“That 2012 tribute show in Grand Rapids included
Doug Deming, Dennis Gruenling, their band, Peter Madcat Ruth and my band,” says
Mowery. “When Gary's family heard about it they got very involved and Gary's
dad, JV, came up for the show...it was really great...he addressed the crowd and
had every single person laughing and crying at the same time.
“About a month
after the show I got a call from Gary’s sister, Darsha, asking if I would record
these two songs they had found lyrics to after Gary passed. I told her that
there were many other players (more famous than I) that would jump on this
chance and that maybe she should rethink the offer. She said that they trusted
me to do what needed to be done and respect Gary. I was very honored and humbled
to be asked to do it. After we started the project, Darsha wanted us to do a few
covers as well, so we said no problem. I then asked Darsha if she wouldn't mind
if I did a few originals and made a full CD out of it. That is when she made the
offer to release it on Old Pal Records.
“I asked Primich
bassist Patrick Recob to come in for the project and he accepted. I asked Tad
Robinson to do the liner notes because he was a long-time friend of Gary's. I
contacted Kate Moss to design the CD because she and her husband Nick had become
somewhat close with Gary and actually had recorded with him not long before he
passed away. I found an all-analog studio in Grand Rapids where we could record
it like Gary would've wanted it. And I only included players that either knew
Gary or understood the weight of the project and could respect its significance.
I wanted to surround the sessions with people that were up for trying new things
to create unique textures throughout the CD, would give honest feedback, leave
egos at the door, not worry about how many of their licks were used on the CD
and generally get into and enjoy the spirit of what we were
doing.”
