Musical visionaries in their lifetime
are often criticized for blasphemously blending musical styles.
Such was the case with Lester Butler.
His last album, 13, melded the roots of American music, blues
and alternative rock. Yet Butler could
also get down and blow some hardcore blues, backing
luminaries Billy Boy Arnold, King Ernest
and Finis Tasby.
His first band, the Red Devils, received
the attention of producer Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty) while
playing their favorite haunt, the King King. With Rubin,
they released their only album, which
was named after that haunt. Their sound attracted the likes of
Jagger, who took them into the studio,
but the tracks were never used for Jagger's album
Wandering Spirit.
Alex Schultz, fresh from Rod Piazza and
the Mighty Flyers, teamed with Butler to form 13. Though
abhorred by blues purists, the group broke
ground, especially in Europe where they drew high praise
from rock bands, who in turn gave 13 opening
slots for their shows. 13 was a step away from
stardom when Butler died unexpectedly
at age 38. -- Char Ham, All-Music
Guide
13
featuring Lester Butler
Lester Butler - Vocals, harmonica
Alex Schultz - Guitar
James Intveld - Drums
Mark Goldberg - Bass
"Music is a hypnotic thing--it kind of puts you in this state and it just
comes out," confesses
lead singer/harp man extraordinaire Lester Butler of Los Angeles-based
13, in attempting to
describe the creative process that fuels the visceral, edgy sound of the
band and its self-titled
debut on HighTone Records. For the brand of blues that Lester and his mates
are creating is
not that by-the-book, note-for-note recreations of the usual cast of characters;
but rather a
living, breathing force of energy that effectively captures both the spirit
and intent of what
makes this music so special. And that's the only way Butler knows how to
do it.
It's also the only way Butler did it back when he fronted The Red Devils,
a white-hot blues
machine that tore up the L.A. club scene in the early 1990's, and then
- thanks to their Rick
Rubin-produced Def American live album, King King - proceeded to do the
same to the rest
of the country on their endless touring schedule. In addition to their
own CD, The Red Devils
recorded albums backing up Mick Jagger and Johnny Cash, both of which are
presently
locked up in tape vaults somewhere.
Originally from Virginia, Lester Butler has been playing since the age
of six, when he got his
first harmonica - a plastic one - and then heard the sound of blues music
around his house.
After moving to Los Angeles, he became infatuated with the blues, listening
especially to Little
Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Dr. Ross and Papa Lightfoot, all of whom influenced
his harmonica
technique.
In the other members of 13, which formed in early 1996, Butler has found
the perfect
complement to his vision of how the music should sound. Guitarist Alex
Schultz is well-known
in blues circles as both a highly-creative guitarist as well as a master
of tone. Most-recently,
Alex spent several years holding down the guitar slot for Rod Piazza and
The Mighty Flyers.
James Intveld is the musical equivalent of the MVP baseball utility player.
An incredible guitar
player in his own right with The Blasters, Rosie Flores and many others,
James played bass on
the band's album and has now switched to drums for the road gigs. The most-recent
member is
bassist Mark Goldberg, who's played with Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Canned
Heat. For the
album line up, Andy Kaulkin played keyboards and Steven Hodges played drums.
The result of this collaboration is an album of boundless energy, which,
while tipping its hat to
the gritty Chicago blues masters, is powered by an over-the-top approach
that is anything but
laid back. "If you want to pay tribute to the innovators like Little Walter,
you don't try to play
just like them," says Butler, "because what made them innovators during
their time was that
they didn't try to copy somebody else - they just did it!"
To that end, the band opted for a non-homogenized studio set-up, often
recording the songs as
a band ensemble with everyone playing together live in the room. Butler
singles out "Sweet
Tooth," "Close To You," "HNC" and "Pray For Me" as songs that especially
benefited from
this approach. "These are some of the real impassioned ones," he admits,
adding that the whole
experience was "cathartic" for him and credits "the healing force of the
music."
In addition to the original songs on 13 (all penned by Butler), the band
puts its own stamp on
Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" (complete with smashing bottles and
a barking
hellhound), Muddy Waters' "Close To You," Elmore James' "So Mean To Me,"
Dr. Ross'
"Boogie Disease" and Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go." But whether
it's an original or
a cover, this band plays with an intensity and an authenticity that makes
the windows shake, the
dancers quake and the spirit of the mojo alive in the `90's. It's a hypnotic
thing, man!
(I'm looking for info on Butler. Pony
up if you have the news.) Ed.
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Drugged