I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,
Gas Station Guru, from
Ted Hefko And The Thousandaires, and it's quite entertaining. Opening with
Two Vices, Ted Hefko leads his own flavor of New Orleans jazz on lead vocal and sax with Elliot Slater and Mem Shannon on guitar, Justin Carlo Davi on bass Jasmine Butler on drums, and Beck Berger on organ. With the easy stride of the Night Tripper himself, cool opener. Funky,
The Roofer, has a super groove with horns by Hefko on vocal and sax, Antonio Gambrell on trumpet and Carolyn Brussard and Arsene DeLay on backing vocal. Excellent. Billy Joe Shaver's
Ride Me Down Easy sits nicely in country waltz style. Smooth vocals by Hefko and solid backing vocals give this track that something special. My favorite track on the release is Clarence and Spencer William's
Ain't Gonna Give You Non O' My Jellyroll. Now I can't listen to this track without thinking of Sweet Emma Barrett and her perfect delivery of this track but delivered New Orleans jazz style with Hefko delivering on sax and clarinet, over the snappy drumming of Butler and piano wizardry of Welnick is mighty excellent!
Ten Dollar Hat is a cool rocker with a "twist". Butler's drumming is bound to keep you bopping and Gambrell's trumpet is tight and Welnick's piano certain. Very cool. With a different level of composure,
Stop Sayin' Unless sounds a bit like Little Feat with Lowell George like slide work under smooth vocals. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Steve Goodman's
City Of New Orleans done straight as Goodman wrote it. A solid radio track with a grand melody, Hefko has put together a terrific release.
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