Omar+&+the+howlers

Omar & The Howlers' misadventures at the majors began when they trimmed the blues and padded the rock. Since returning to Rounder/Bullseye, they have smartly managed to keep the balance, and that's the case on their latest. The 13 tracks alternate between boogie shuffles, swaggering wailers, and heartache testimonies, with Omar's flailing guitar and spiraling harmonica nicely backed by his trio and such assistants as organist Reese Wynans, vocalist Kris McKay and saxophonist John Mills. Plenty of blues and more than enough rock fervor.

Muddy Springs Road, originally released in 1995 on Watermelon Records, was the album in which Omar Kent Dykes finally started putting everything together, opening up his sound with additional players, including harmonica ace Gary Primich and session drummer George Rains, while at the same time reining in his vocal excesses and writing solid, autobiographical songs like the two that lead off this album, "Muddy Springs Road" and "Black Bottom." Both songs draw on Dykes' childhood impressions growing up in McComb, MS, and both give off an ominous, swampy glow that gains emotional nuance from Dykes' gruff, raspy vocals, which sound at times like Wolfman Jack fronting a blues band – which isn't a bad thing at all.

Austin, Texas-based guitarist and singer/songwriter Omar Kent Dykes fits the stereotypical image some have of an American blues musician: he's tall, wears cowboy boots, and has a deep voice with a Southern accent. But although Dykes looks rough and tough, he's actually an incredibly peaceful and intelligent musician, and a veteran at working a crowd in a blues club or a festival. While Dykes has a sizable American audience owing to his albums for Columbia Records, he has spent a good portion of his touring years at festivals and clubs around Europe.

One doesn't recall Omar & the Howlers as a straight-out jump blues combo, but it looks as if they're on the bandwagon with this CD. Omar Dykes has a squirrelly voice that falls between sandpaper gruff and churlish shouting, a cross twixt Dr. John and Howlin' Wolf. Help from the capable Howlers, big-time backup from saxophonists David "Fathead" Newman and Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff and harmonica whiz Gary Primich on three cuts gives Omar, who also plays guitar throughout, all the support and inspiration he needs. As much as the band does predictably jump and swing hard on the majority of these cuts, there's always a surprise. Obvious choices like "Hit the Road Jack," "Just Like a Woman," and the hardest swinger "So Mean to Me" come naturally. Taj Mahal's loping "Going up to the Country" is one that fits Omar's range perfectly, and he really cops "the Wolf" on "Yellow Coat."

Supported by a new batch of Howlers, Omar Dykes doesn't show any signs of wear and tear on World Wide Open. The band continues to turn out a gut-busting mixture of blues and dirty rock & roll, occasionally sounding like Howlin' Wolf, other times like the Stones or Creedence Clearwater Revival. As always, the quality of songs is slightly inconsistent but the band never sounds tired – they perform with as much energy, if not more, than they ever have. Austin, Texas-based guitarist and singer/songwriter Omar Kent Dykes fits the stereotypical image some have of an American blues musician: he's tall, wears cowboy boots, and has a deep voice with a Southern accent…

The guitarist and singer/songwriter Omar Kent Dykes fits the stereotypical image some have of an American blues musician: he's tall, wears cowboy boots, and has a deep voice with a Southern accent. But although Dykes looks rough and tough, he's actually an incredibly peaceful and intelligent musician, and a veteran at working a crowd in a blues club or a festival. While Dykes has a sizable American audience owing to his albums for Columbia Records, he has spent a good portion of his touring years at festivals and clubs around Europe. Omar & the Howlers is a Texas based electric blues and blues rock band, The original Howlers was formed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1973. Three years later they moved to Austin, Texas.

NEAL BLACK, Texas Blues Rock, Roots Musician, has spent the last 25 years electrifying audiences around the World with his fusion of Blues, Rock, Roots Music. Referred to by one critic as "THE MASTER OF HIGH VOLTAGE TEXAS BOOGIE". His albums have received 4**** reviews from Rolling Stone Music Critics as well as reaching the Number One position on European Radio Charts. As a guitarist Neal Black's credits include performances on stage or in the studio with Blues/Rock legends: ​Chuck Berry, Popa Chubby, Jimmy Dawkins, Larry Garner, Lucky Peterson, Johnnie Johnson, The Chambers Brothers, Papa John Creach, Elliott Murphy, Johnny Copeland, Jimmy Vivino, Michael Meritt…

NEAL BLACK, Texas Blues Rock, Roots Musician, has spent the last 25 years electrifying audiences around the World with his fusion of Blues, Rock, Roots Music. Referred to by one critic as "THE MASTER OF HIGH VOLTAGE TEXAS BOOGIE". His albums have received 4**** reviews from Rolling Stone Music Critics as well as reaching the Number One position on European Radio Charts. As a guitarist Neal Black's credits include performances on stage or in the studio with Blues/Rock legends: ​Chuck Berry, Popa Chubby, Jimmy Dawkins, Larry Garner, Lucky Peterson, Johnnie Johnson, The Chambers Brothers, Papa John Creach, Elliott Murphy, Johnny Copeland, Jimmy Vivino, Michael Meritt…

This album confirms the talent of a leading blues songwriter. Sometimes the Truth is a milestone in the career of this San Antonio, Texas, singer/guitarist. Part of this set was recorded in the New York studio of Neal's good friend Popa Chubby (who makes noted vocal appearances on three tracks and plays guitar on five), while the rest was cut in Europe with a little help from noted Frenchies Nico "Wayne" Toussaint and Fred Chapellier.