The Jim Band - Braymiller's Lanes

 

            The Jim Band, basically the Jim Whitford/Cathy Carfagna Band, played a couple of very cool sets as a featured act of the Hamburg Music Festival at Braymiller’s Lanes.

            Whitford, a Buffalo Music Hall of Fame member, is best known for his guitar playing, singing and songwriting for the Pine Dogs, his solo work and in the Desires and Outlyers, as well as his blues bass playing and steel guitar playing for Stone County and the Twang Gang. Carfagna, a keyboardist, guitar player, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, is best known for her solo work, membership in the Jazzabels (with Kilissa Cissoko), Outlyers and the Vores.

            The band has an obvious wide range of songs to chose from, and plays a good number of original songs from each performer, with a few more from Whitford.  The band also has a good roster of cover songs they often play.

            While crowded into a front space near the bar area of the bowling lanes, Whitford and company were in good spirits playing before a rather large, and crowded, audience in a virtual homecoming show. Whitford originals such as “Crash All Night,” “Good Luck, Money and Gasoline” and “Naked Truth” nailed down the roots rock sound of the band, while Carfagna originals such as the moody, bluesy “I’m Going Down to Memphis” and the pop rock optimism of “Turn Your Face to the Sun” displayed her talents well.

            The covers were impressive, starting with Carfagna singing a lovely version of Bob Kozak’s “What Do I Do,” with Kozak, playing guitar and singing backing vocals in the band, accompanying her. Carfagna also sang a fun cover of Tom Waits’ “Jockey Full of Bourbon,” with drummer/vocalist Rob Lynch adding some nice work. Whitford sang a raunchy, wild version of “Country Boy” by Primal Scream that had the lanes stomping.

But the most impressive cover turned out to be the old chestnut “Lonesome Train,” which Whitford and Kozak turned into a high-octane vehicle for their soloing. Each took at least two solos, along with a turn or two at the keyboards by Carfagna, and Whitford and Kozak used rock, country, swamp, power pop and punk energy top blow away the audience.

            It was not only great to see such a fun show in a bowling alley setting, but the Hamburg Music Festival is a fine idea; indeed, almost too good, because between conflicts and other commitments, we were unable to catch shows by the Alison Pipitone Band and the Mark Winsick Band. Kudos to the festival’s organizers, and maybe others should take note; a Kenmore Music Festival could also be something.