Cadillac in the Swamp

Biography

Florida Swamp Blues.... that's the music of Smokehouse. The lowdown guitar sound of Robert ''Town Crier'' Thomas. The deep Blues vocals and harp playing of Anthony ''Packrat'' Thompson that make you think of the pine flatwoods and cypress bottoms of Central Florida. The swamp sound of Baton Rouge has spread and taken root in these steamy Florida lowlands. The Town Crier is from New Smyrna Beach; Packrat is from Lake Helen. Although they have shared bandstands since the late 1970's, It wasn't u...

Florida Swamp Blues.... that's the music of Smokehouse.

The lowdown guitar sound of Robert ''Town Crier'' Thomas. The deep Blues vocals and harp playing of Anthony ''Packrat'' Thompson that make you think of the pine flatwoods and cypress bottoms of Central Florida. The swamp sound of Baton Rouge has spread and taken root in these steamy Florida lowlands. The Town Crier is from New Smyrna Beach; Packrat is from Lake Helen. Although they have shared bandstands since the late 1970's, It wasn't until 1988 that they began to explore their common roots and their love of the Blues. They recruited Gary and Ture to provide a fat bottom and they began to hypnotize audiences throughout the South-East with their simple, straight-forward and powerful music. Don't expect Rock-Blues pyrotechnics of trick arrangements... or even the familiar, horn-lead King Snake sound! This is straight down-home Blues, played with emotion and conviction. The Swamp Blues... Florida style and as only Smokehouse can play'em!
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Cadillac in the Swamp is a torrid, steaming album, powered by the gutsy, powerful songwriting and singing of harpist Anthony Thompson. Smokehouse reworks the deep, swampy groove of New Orleans and Delta blues, adding the electric energy of Chicago blues. Thompson is a raw, greasy harmonica player, evoking the classic licks of Little Walter. He's not as good a singer — his range is quite limited — but he is a forceful and emotional vocalist and he's one hell of a songwriter; unlike many of his contemporaries, he is not afraid of tackling big social issues. Guitarist Robert Thomas is equally impressive, spitting out firey solos and muscular riffs throughout the record. That musical dexterity and sinewy energy shines throughout Cadillac in the Swamp, a first-rate modern blues album.

- Allmusic Guide

Edge of the Swamp marks the fourth release for this Southern Florida blues-rock band. Opening for such acts as Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor, Noble "Thin Man" Watts, Kenny Neal, James Peterson and Lester Chambers has enabled the band-comprised of bassist Thomas "Doc Holiday" Westray, drummer Aaron "Pop" Watson, harmonica/lead vocalist Anthony "Packrat" Thompson (author of 11 of 12 cuts on CD) and guitarist Robert "Lightning Boy" Thomas-to further refine their sound and mature into a decent sounding blues band.

Thompson's vocals are deep, rough (a.k.a. John Lee Hooker) and contemporary. The groove is filled with mid-tempo beats and Jimmy Reed influenced guitars along with steady and tight drumming from Watson. Highlights include "Credit Card Blues" and "Hoodoo Lover." Thompson relinquishes lead vocals once on the CD ("What's Your Flavor Baby") and it helps to add a nice dimension to the band's overall repetitive but derivative sound. They should do more of this in the future.

-Blues On Stage, Matt Alcott
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