Steve Howell and The Mighty Men

Friend Like Me

Out of The Past Music/Burnside Distribution

Steve Howell was born in Texas and lives in the greater Shreveport, La. area. Howell has immersed himself in the rural blues of the south. Howell’s first recording was the independently produced 2006 “Out of The Past. Howell followed up with 2008’s “My Mind Gets to Ramblin” and 2010’s “Since I Saw you Last”.

Howell finger picks in a style that evokes the late Chet Atkins and is content to recreate traditional country blues.  He possesses a warm voice similar to Elvin Bishops and his albums are collections of tunes almost forgotten.The Academy of Texas Music awarded “Since I Saw You Last” a first time “Historical Significance Award” which “honors the efforts of the album to preserve the fidelity of the tunes recorded and recognizes the significance of the emotion embedded in each…”

For his fifth album Howell named his band, Steve Howell and The Mighty Men, and they released “Yes, I Believe I Will”. This newest album “Friend Like Me” is his sixth. The band consists of Howell, acoustic and electric guitars and vocals; Chris Michaels, electric guitar; Dave Hoffpauir, drums; and Jason Weinheimer, bass.

Howell is a blues historian as he re-creates songs like “Another Friend Like Me” from Jesse “Baby Face” Thomas. Howell states he learned it from Roy Book Binder some forty years ago.

“Aberdeen Mississippi Blues” is from “Bukka White” who was rediscovered by John Fahey during the folk music boom of the early sixties. White died in 1977. “Elder Green is Gone” is from Charley Patton who is considered the “Father of The Delta Blues”.

“Roustabout” written by Josh Thomas was learned by Howell from Mike Seeger of The New Lost City Rambers. “This Old Hammer” was learned from Nelson Harmon. It is a version of The Ballad of John Henry.

The traditional “Little Sadie” was recorded by Clarence Ashley in 1930 and again by Doc Watson in 1970. “Pretty Flamingo” credited to Mark Barkan was a hit for Manfred Mann in 1966.

Many “deadheads” learned about the blues by listening to the Grateful Dead. The roots of their tunes have been well documented. Howell covers both the “Viola Lee Blues” written by Noah Lewis and performed by Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers when Lewis was a member of the group; and another tune written by John Phillips of the Mama’s and Papa’s. “Me and My Uncle” was perhaps their most played song in their long concert career.

The Academy of Texas Music was onto something. Someone should nominate Howell for a “Keeping The Blues Alive” award. This is a thoroughly enjoyable recording.

Richard Ludmerer