Chris Daniels & The Kings with Freddi Gowdy

Blues With Horns Volume II

Independent

The Chicago styled horn band “Chris Daniels and The Kings” was formed in 1984. They recorded their album debut “When You’re Cool” in 1987 on Moon Voyage Records. They also recorded for Redstone, Provogue, Flat Canyon, and Flying Fish Records before returning to Moon Voyage in 1998. The Kings have backed many artists including Bo Diddley, Percy Sledge, Al Kooper, and Francine Reed. Then came Freddi Gowdy, Colorado music history was changed by the Freddi Henchi Band. Perhaps the greatest blues/soul/R&B duo ever was Sam and Dave. “I asked myself, why couldn’t we do that ? Freddi started singing with the Kings that year and together released three albums including 2015’s Chris Daniels and The Kings “Funky To The Bone”, and 2017’s “Blues With Horns Vol 1”.

“40: Blues With Horns Vol. ll” is a forty-year anniversary celebration of the journey from 1984 to the present, recorded at the Colorado Sound Studio in Denver. After the passing of Kevin “Bro” Lege, and Dean LeDoux, the Kings have come back stronger than ever with Johnny Thornburg, Denver’s premier blues bass player, and Steve Ivey with his incredible New Orleans “pop and bounce” drumming. The fabulous horn section includes Bob Rebholz, alto sax and flute; Darryl Abrahamson, trumpet and vocals, and Darren Kramer, trombone. The horn arrangements are split between Rebholz and Kramer. The songs are written by Gowdy and Larry Wilkins; or Dave Steen, unless mentioned otherwise.

The celebration begins with the exuberant “Jump (When My Baby Says)” with Daniels and Gowdy sharing the call and response “Now my baby says, jump, jump, jump and I’ll say how high, high, high you want me to” with Sam Bush swinging on the fiddle.  On “I Like Funky Music” five background vocalists are utilized while Daniels and Gowdy chime “I like funky music, something about the beat, come grab your partner now, this music will move your feet”. “Everybody’s a Millionaire”, written by Daniels and Tom Wiggens, includes the lyric “it’s what’s inside, what you can share”.

On “I Need Some Good Luck Bad” Daniels and Gowdy croon “sister fortune won’t you smile on me, I’m as ready as a man can be”. The duo harmonizes on “when I hear that rock and soul music I want to ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’.

Co-written by slide-guitarist Sonny Landreth and Dave Ranson, “Congo Square” features the lyric “it might be superstition, but some kind of somethin’ goin’ on down there, it’s an old-time tradition when they play their drums all night in Congo Square”.

Written by Steve McCormick and John Vester, “Stealin’ Candy” features a lilting guitar and Sam Bush on Mandolin, as Gowdy and Daniels chant “stealin’ candy, from my baby, you know it’s easy as can be, and it’s always so delicious, the way she steals it back from me”. On “I Like Your Shoes” the duo shouts “now there is no need to go out and plead in the parking lot, No 2 a.m. last ditch routines, you just compliment your partner on those fine-looking shoes, I like your shoes, do you like mine ?”

On the newsworthy “Under Pressure” Daniels and Gowdy groan “tryin’ to be the man you are, you know that just can’t be, systems got you all tied down, why can’t they let us be free”. This fine album closes with a shuffle “you can shuffle right through that rainstorm, don’t you pay it no never mind, it’s got a lot to do with the attitude, of leaving your blues behind, when your cool, boy, the sun shines all the time”.

Chris Daniels states “our goal from the start was to bring the energy of “call and response” between the singer and the horn section to a new audience”. On their 40th anniversary Chris Daniels and The Kings are still bringing on that truly incredible energy.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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