I Still Get Excited
TVR/VizzTone, 2019
8/10
A long running tenor sax extraordinaire, Terry Hanck has won multiple blues awards and it’s pretty easy to see why. Armed with an incredible, inimitable set of pipes and a penchant for New Orleans spirited R&B and Chicago blues and soul, as well as Memphis flavored rock’n’roll, he’s not your typical bluesman, and I Still Get Excited isn’t your standard blues album.
“I Still Get Excited” starts the listen right with bluesy guitars, rollicking keys and playful horns on an explosive retro-rocker, and “Smooth Tyrone” follows with a soulful spirit as horns initially take center stage on the glorious display of a frisky boogie vibe.
Near the middle, “Come On Back”, with Rick Estrin, brings a call and response approach with the instruments as the punchy keys and bouncy setting make this one of the best, and “Why People Like That?” brings a heavier percussive influence on the cautious rocker.
Towards the end, “Spring”, with Tracy Nelson, offers a duet of the most soulful kind, and “Feel So Bad” ends the listen with a lively beat, jazz undertones and plenty of warm guitar licks.
Though there’s 6 covers against the 5 originals, Hanck and his band make every tune their own, as the aptly titled record moves, shuffles and shakes with a contagiousness that’s easy to admire and hard to forget.
Travels well with: King Curtis- The New Scene; The Fabulous Thunderbirds- Tuff Enuff