Barbecued Blues
By ROB O'CONNOR
beer.com
Barbecue Bob and the Spareribs
Pass the Biscuits!
(Dada)

Let's face it: Most blues music reeks of honky revival. You know the stuff. Amiable white guys who memorize the collected licks of Robert Johnson or more likely Stevie Ray Vaughn or even more likely George Thorogood, wreak havoc on the same three chords over and over. Pretty soon the refried hockey blues of Canned Heat is sounding pretty good.

Not so with this outfit. A roster of NYC-NJ blues veterans who have the chops to back up their considerable record collections, BBQ Bob & the Spareribs play it as hard and mean as those excellent Excello sides recently anthologized (and worth your time) by Hip-O / Universal. In fact, on their second CD, Pass the Biscuits, they cover Lonesome Sundown's (Cornelius Green) "My Home is a Prison" (written by J.D. Miller, who also wrote Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"), which appeared on The Excello Story Volume Two. Here, singer Bob Pomeroy's harp traces guitarist Ira Spinrad's lead lines in glorious stereo. Those two do a lot of chasing each other. In place of a twin guitar attack, Spinrad and Pomeroy trade licks between distorted harp and guitar. True telepathy at times.

There's plenty to chew on here. "A Bullet for You" is a muted rumble that recalls the high-wire tension of the Rolling Stones' "Midnight Rambler". "One Step Closer" has the R&B sweetness of Arthur Alexander. Legendary Chicago harpist Little Walter gets a nod of the hat with a cover of "My Baby's Sweeter." "High Cotton" is that merge of raw bottomed blues and country music that some people think the Band accomplished with their first few records. That only shows how laid back hippies can be.

This ain't a nostalgia show. There are eleven originals here that in a blindfold test you wouldn't be able to correctly date. Coulda been written fifty years ago, coulda been yesterday. The rhythm section is a mother and you can hear it steamroll through "Too Bored to Live, Too Dumb to Die," "Hot Biscuit" or "Gorillacillin" if you feel the need to impulsively shake your a**.

The entire CD was recorded live on Tuesday, June 13, 1999 at Coyote Studios in Brooklyn and the result is the actual energy of live show. Unlike, say, the Rolling Stones, who stripped it down for their acoustic outing, only to employ back-up singers, keyboardists and other sweeteners, these guys are the raw deal. When they grab Bruce Martin for a little Hammond B-3, Charles Otis for percussion or Neil Tex Thomas for piano, accordion or washboard, it's to fill out the sound, not to pad it. There's a difference. Only goes to show you how screwed up the music business is these days that guys playing their instruments live in a room could be considered such a novel idea.

(following review from "blues on stage"by Joe Thornton)

It's rare that you are able to truly imagine what a blues group would sound like live based on a studio-recorded CD. That's not the case with "Pass the Biscuits" from Barbecue Bob and the Spareribs. One listen to this and you'll want to hear these guys in a dark blues club late at night.
This CD has a raw, authentic edge to it because these New York City/New Jersey blues veterans recorded the all 13 tracks in one day. The mix is great, simply because this recording was not overproduced - it's straight blues all around. The challenge is to peg the style of this group. You can hear the Delta blues influences on the edgy "A Bullet for You," the 50's rock influence on "Gorillacillin" and just about every other avenue of blues scattered throughout this recording.

The music is great because of the individual strengths of the musicians. Bob Pomeroy's vocals have a laid back, ultra cool feel. His harp work is smooth and soulful. The guitar work, especially the slide guitar on "Hot Biscuit" (a Pomeroy original) cuts through effortlessly, making this one of the best tracks on the disk. The rhythm section is tight and has a way of sitting just behind the beat, making you hang on for each downbeat.


Thanks for reading the reviews, and buy the CD... you won't be sorry!
bbq bob

Band Bio

The first Barbecue Bob & the Spareribs show took place at the Furnald Folk Festival at Columbia University in 1981, followed by shows at the Postcrypt coffee house. A long residency at Dan Lynch’s blues bar (booked by blues artist Bill Dicey) followed. Looking for a neighborhood bar, the band settled in at the Blue Rose Lounge at 106th St. & Broadway (NYC). Bob stocked the jukebox with his favorites and began booking acts as diverse as The Holmes Brothers, The Raunch Hands, Bobby Radcliff, and The Dogmatics (from Boston). During this period, the band released two 45’s on their own label, Rib records, (“Linda Lu” b/w “Shake Your Money Maker” and “My Barbecue Baby” b/w “Oedipus Rex”), acquired drummer/pianist Howie Wyeth, and began a series of shows opening for national acts at the original Lone Star Café (13th & 5th Ave. NYC). The Spareribs were still playing the Blue Rose and Dan Lynch’s, and had expanded to Philadelphia, doing frequent shows at Taker’s Café (Germantown) and Bacchanal (13th & South St.). The Ribs released two full-length cassettes (“The Best So Far”, and “Shut up and Play”) and began a long relationship with the Rodeo Bar (27th & 3rd Ave. NYC) around 1987.



The Spareribs had by this time begun playing in New Jersey clubs such as Wallace’s (East Orange), Tierney’s (Montclair), and opening for nationally touring acts at the Stanhope House (Stanhope). Two more full-length cassettes followed (“Four on the Floor”, with Simon Chardiet on guitar, and “Wages of Sin”, with Dan Hovey and Ira Spinrad on guitars).

At this point the Spareribs inked up (in blood) with DaDa Records, a D.I.Y. label, releasing two 7”mono records “Snack Time”(’96) and “Side Order” (’97) .


They included the “A” sides on their first full-length CD “After School Special”, and have been touring the South and Midwest in support of these releases, building a small but loyal following as far as Chicago and New Orleans.

With their second CD “Pass the Biscuits!”, Barbecue Bob and the Spareribs were poised to conquer the world, or at the very least, make it to California (and all points in between).

A Brief list of musicians over the years(recorded* and otherwise)

Guitar:
Artie Gold
Andy Karp
Kevin Trainor*
Jack Petruzzelli
Ira Spinrad*
Simon Chardiet*
Bobby Radcliff*
Dan Hovey*
Bill Thompson
Steve Antonakos
Zonder Kennedy

Bass:
Brian Miller*
Jay Elfenbein*
Mark Ettinger
Tom Diello*
Dominick Zarillo*
Johnny Katonah*
Scott Kitchen*
Craig Robison
Ron Tullier
Keith Christopher
Dan Baird
Dave Dreiwitz*
Arturo Baguer
Skip Ward

Drums:
Dave Capello*
Howie Wyeth*
Charles Otis*
Scott Byrne*
Ira Kay*
Dave Ross*
Charlie Shaw
Glenn Healy*
JJ Murphy*
Nick Ruggieri
Rex "Nervous Rex" Wilson

Venues/Clubs/Festivals

Road Work:

Bucko's(Huron, Oh.)
Wilbert's(Cleveland, Oh.)
The Beer Barrel(Put-in-Bay, Oh.)
Danny's(New Philadelphia, Oh.)
The Purple Onion(New Philadelphia, Oh.)
Army/Navy Club(E. Liverpool, Oh.)
Hoop's Lounge(E. Liverpool, Oh.)
4th & Long(E. Liverpool, Oh.)
Scotty's Place(E. Liverpool, Oh.)
Down Under(E. Liverpool, Oh.)
the Oasis(E. Liverpool, Oh.)
State Line(E. Palestine, Oh.)
Main St. saloon (akron,oh)

Moondog's (Pittsburgh, Pa)
The Funhouse (Bethlehem, Pa.)
Bacchanal (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Taker's Cafe (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Doc Watson's (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Red, hot and blue (Cherry Hill, Pa.)
John and Peter's (New hope, Pa.)

Slippery Noodle(Indianapolis, In.)

Smoke Daddy's(Chicago)
Lounge Axe(Chicago)

5 Spot(Nashville, Tn.)
Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie(Nashville, Tn.)
Exit Inn(Nashville, Tn.)
3rd & Lindsley(Nashville, Tn.)
Blues City Cafe(Memphis, Tn.)

Hal & Mal's(Jackson, Miss.)

Loose Caboose(Monroe, La.)
The Collegiate(Monroe La.)
Checkpoint Charlie's(New Orleans, La.)
Lounge Lizards(New Orleans, La.)
Circle Bar(New Orleans, La.)
El Morocco(New Orleans, La.)
Bank St. Bar(New Orleans, La.)

The Peerless(Anniston, Al.)
Brother's(Jacksonville, Al.)
The Nick(Birmingham, Al.)
The Chukker(Tuscaloosa, Al.)
The Varsity(Tuscaloosa, Al.)
The wine cellar (birmingham,ala.)

40 Watt Club(Athens, Ga.)
Tasty World(Athens, Ga.)
Blind Pig(Atlanta, Ga.)

The Purple Pelican (charleston,sc)
Bert's Island Characters(Charleston, S.C.)
Local 506(Chapel Hill, N.C.)
The Berkely Cafe(Raleigh, N.C.)

Iota(Arlington, Va.)
Andy's(Chestertown, Md.)
Dogfish Head(Del.)

Madam's Organ(Washington, D.C.)

New York State:

The bayou (mt.vernon,ny)
7 Willow st.(port chester,ny)
The turning point (piermont,ny)
Snug Harbor (new paltz, ny)
Tinker st. cafe (woodstock, ny)
Ben Dover's(Pelham, ny)
Mike's Pelham Grill(Formerly Ben Dover's)

New Jersey:

Wallaces(Orange)
Tierney's(Montclair)
the Great Notch Inn(Little Falls)
Stanhope House(Stanhope)
Crossroads(garwood)
Mrs. J's(Asbury Park)
Crossroads(asbury park)
Court Tavern(New Brunswick)
Plum Street Pub(new brunswick)
the Budapest(new brunswick)
Triumph Brew Pub(Princeton)
Scotland Yard(Hoboken)
Liquid Lounge(Hoboken)
Loop Lounge (teaneck)
Back Porch(Rahway)
Waiting Room(Rahway)
Deck House(Asbury Park)
Ragin' Cajun(Belmar)
Jason's(belmar)
Main St. Cafe(Red Bank)
The Circle Bar (absecon)
Texas-arizona (hoboken)
T.J.'s Hideaway (s.plainfield)
assembly point(belleville)
the red cafe( i don't remember it either, but we played there 1/23/93!)
the centennial house(cranford)
sneaky pete's (2/20/93 ?!!!!)
marita's cantina (new brunswick)
chatfields (gladstone,nj)
cafe newz(remember that one! new brunswick)
palm grill(morristown)
The Office(Montclair, Morristown, & Chatham)
c.c.muggs (union,nj)
Melody bar (new brunswick)
Downtown cafe(red bank)
Ideal clam bar(secaucus)
Cadillac bar (formerly boo-boo's, hoboken)
Boo Boo's(Hoboken)
O'Shea's (preceded the saint, asbury park)
The Saint(Asbury Park)
Shilleleagh club(w.orange)
the Old homestead(irvington)
the Old bay (new brunswick)
Town pub (bloomfield)
Maxwell's (hoboken)
The deep sea bar (teaneck)
Marita's cantina (Princeton)
Harrison ave. tavern (west orange)
North end tavern (union/maplewood)
Dolls place (new brunswick)
The Elysian (hoboken)
Rockefeller's (hampton)
Hamilton pub (newark)
Crawfish fest (waterloo)
The stone pony (asbury park)
McCormicks (new brunswick)
The Dirt Club (bloomfield)

Festivals:

Crawfish Festival(waterloo, nj)
New Jersey Jazz & Blues(Red Bank, nj)
Guitarbeque(Asbury Park)
Birmingham Jam (w/Pinetop Perkins)
National Folk Fest, Bangor, Me.(w/Pinetop Perkins)
Music at NJPAC(Newark, nj)
Muskonetcong River Festival(nj)
Westport Blues & Barbecue Festival(ct)

NewYorkCity:

Postcrypt Coffee House
Ear Inn
Dan Lynch
Lone Star Cafe
Lone Star Roadhouse
Rodeo Bar
Brian's Place
North River Bar
Wetlands
Manny's Car Wash
Chicago Blues
Fanny's Oyster Bar
Blue Rose Lounge
Brother's Barbecue
Abilene
Wonderland
Gonzales Y Gonzales
Louisiana Community Bar & Grill
Finian's Rainbow
Delta 88
Mondo Cane
Mondo Perso
Kenny's Castaways
The Bitter End
Barmacy
Nightingales
St.Mark's Bar
Jack the Ribber/Continental Divide/the Continental
Coney Island High
Manitoba's (nyc)
Chelsea commons (nyc)
The R Bar(nyc)
Two boots (brooklyn, ny)
The Red Lion (nyc)
Mcgovern's (nyc)
Ludlow st. cafe (nyc)