Omar and the Howers - Too Much Is Not Enough - New Release Review

I just received a copy of Too Much Is Not Enough, the newest Omar and the Howlers release. Gary Primich is featured on 10 of the 12 tracks and the release is dedicated to his memory. In the liner notes, Omar apologizes for a second tribute to Jimmy Reed and then tells about the story about how and why. I'll tell you why. It's great music and it needs to be heard! The release opens with Too Much and it has the great Jimmy Reed lope and Primich harping away. On I Gotta Let You Go, Gary Clark Jr. joins the band and plays some hot slide work. Omar is in top form on vocals and Primich has perfect balance. On Honest I Do, Clark and Jay Moeller round out the band and Primich again plays some sweet harp. Omar sings this song like he owns it. I Ain't Got You is a bit stripped down and I really like it. The first time I heard this (embarrassingly enough) was by the Yardbirds but yes ...it's all about the journey. High And Lonesome is a slow Texas style blues with Omar grinds this track on vocal and guitar, Primich on harp, Barry Bihm on bass and Jon Hahn on drums. Roll In Rhumba is a cool instrumental with the band keeping it tight while Primich airs it out. Very cool!! Omar puts a little extra swing on Take Out Some Insurance. These guys are really together and Omar and Primrich keep the dialogue between vocals and harp. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town, another of the more slowly paced tracks, really gives Primich a chance to milk the harp for all it's worth. I'm Gonna Ruin You again with the stripped down band of Omar, Gary Clark Jr. (guitar and harp) and Jay Moeller deliver a straight up Chicago romp. Shame, Shame, Shame takes the pace up quite a bit a Primich again grabs the floor and delivers. You Don't Have To Go, an Elmore James style track, again featuring Clark Jr. on slide. This is a terrific ending for a very cool recording. If you like Jimmy Reed you're bound to like this release!
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Ruf Records artist: Omar and The Howlers - Essential Collection - New Recording Review

I have been reviewing the new Omar & The Howlers, Essential Collection and that's exactly what it is. Ruf Records has set a February 14 release date for this 2 disc set for Omar and the gang. The twin disk set contains one disk called Best Of and another called Omar's Picks. The Best Of contains 15 tracks including some of my favorites, East Side Blues, a stormy slow blues with great vocals and instrumental appeal as well as fan favorites Mississippi Hoo Doo Man,Big Chief Pontiac, Monkey Land, Boogie Man and of course the blues infused You Made Me Laugh and Jimmy Reed Highway.

Disk 2, Omar's Picks, another 15 tracks opens with cool track I Want You and continues with some just terrific tracks such as Burn It To The Ground, Alligator Wine, I'm Wild About You Baby, Life Without You and concludes with Omar's take on Built For Comfort.

This is a well planned out "Essential Set" with a mixture of Live and studio tracks and it is essential for all Omar and the Howlers fans as well as anyone who isn't as familiar with the band as a great full sampler.

Enjoy!
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Angel Blues - Omar & The Howlers

Omar & the Howlers is a Texas based blues band, formed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1973 by the blues guitarist and singer Omar Kent Dykes. Three years later they moved to Austin, Texas. The band has regularly toured European countries

Dykes grew up in McComb, Mississippi, began playing the guitar at age 7 and joined his first band at 12. In his 20s, he gathered a group of musicians who started calling themselves 'the Howlers'.[1] They specialized in frat parties and were a party band, playing music that included both "R&B, R&R and even the occasional polka and western swing tune" Dykes has said he remembers these days fondly. It was around this time that he started calling himself Omar and developed his penchant for the blues.

In 1976, the Howlers relocated to Austin, Texas, at the time sporting a bustling music scene, home to such up-and-coming artists as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Johnson. After a year of gigging in Austin, the rest of the band quit, feeling that they were not cut out to play music full-time.[citation needed] As they headed back to Mississippi, Dykes stayed and kept the name. He worked out a new lineup, and recorded the debut album Big Leg Beat for Stomp Records in 1980, just after fellow Austin band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The record was a local hit and was followed by, I Told You So.

It was not until 1987, however, when Dykes signed a recording contract with Columbia, that the band would succeed. That year saw the release of Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, that went on to sell in excess of 500,000 copies. The band now consisted of Dykes singing and playing the guitar, Bruce Jones on bass and Gene Brandon on drums.

Since then, Omar & the Howlers has released around twenty successful albums, both for Columbia and Provogue Records, as well as their current record label, Ruf Records.

Bessie Mae

I caught up with Omar a few days ago he said he's taking a break from touring right now. Mainly just playing in Texas. Will play the Republic of Texas (ROT) biker rally www.rotrally.com on June 11 in Austin. One of the largest biker rallies in the US. Working with Jack Primich on a tribute release for Gary Primich, who was a really good friend of his and who played on several of his cds. That tribute release is scheduled to come out in early 2012. Also working on material for his next 2 Howlers releases.


Enjoy