(Northern Blues Music)

www.northernblues.com

Best known for college basketball, dead prairie dogs on the highway, and the American prog-rock band of the same name, the state of Kansas is not what you'd think of when considering the blues. If Moreland & Arbuckle have their say, blues music fans may look upon the state more favorably. Finalists in the 2005 International Blues Competition, Moreland & Arbuckle – the trio of guitarist Aaron "Chainsaw" Moreland, vocalist/harpist Dustin Arbuckle, and drummer Brad Horner, with various friends as guests – put the edge back in blues-rock with their big league debut album, 1861.

Following up on the promise shown by two independently-released albums, the Kansas-bred bluesmen have pieced together an impressive gumbo of Delta-styled country blues, heavily seasoned with rockin' guitar and a soupcon of country twang.  "Gonna Send You Back To Georgia" is a soulful jumper that wouldn't sound out of place roaring out of the windows of any back roads Delta juke-joint, while "The Legend" mixes a driving roadhouse rhythm with a C&W bite and slash fretwork. The Chicago blues-styled "Please, Please Mammy" features Arbuckle's inspired harp playing and rich vocals, "Wrong I Do" is a sparse country-blues with passionate vocals and deep blue slide guitar.

The band's R.L. Burnside cover, "See My Jumper Hangin' Out On The Line," sounds like Saturday night at Kimbrough's in the Mississippi Hill Country, swaggering harp dancing atop the band's unrelenting rhythm as Moreland's fiery guitar play lights the way from the stage. The high point of 1861 (the year that Kansas joined the union) may well be the explosive six-minute "Wiser Jam," which showcases the band's chemistry and incredible instrumental skills. Keep your ears open, blues fans, 'cause you're going to hear a lot more from Moreland & Arbuckle.

Standout Tracks: "Gonna Send Ya Back To George," "Wiser Jam." REV. KEITH A. GORDON