MP3 The Cathouse Blues Band - It seemed like a good idea at the time...
Rockin'' guitar blues with a heavy Pacific Northwest instrumental sound and superb vocals.
10 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Chicago Style, BLUES: Blues Vocals
Details:
The Cathouse Blues Band was formed in 2001. By 2005 they had become one of the Pacific Northwest’s most celebrated blues bands, receiving the following “Best Blues” (BB) Award nominations from the Washington Blues Society:
1. Best Male Blues Vocalist (2003, 2004 & 2005): Kurt Aemmer
2. Best Electric Blues Guitar (2004): Kevin Short
3. Best Washington Blues Recording (2004): It seemed like a good idea at the time… - The Cathouse Blues Band
4. Best Blues Songwriter (2005): Kurt Aemmer
5. Best Washington Blues Recording (2005): Take It Downtown – The Cathouse Blues Band
6. Best Blues Image (2005): Rebecca Schlotterback - for the Take It Downtown CD cover art
In 2002 The Cathouse Blues Band performed two sets at the Mt. Baker Blues Festival, the second set closing the show backing Blues Legends Hubert Sumlin and Henry Gray. In 2003 Dave Hole joined them for the last four songs of their festival set.
Between 2001 and 2003 The Cathouse Blues Band was known for the heavy synergy of Kevin Short’s lead guitar and Kurt Aemmer’s Rhythm guitar, Aemmer’s gusty blues vocals, and the air-tight rhythm section of George Clark on drums and Jim Lowry on bass. The Cathouse Blues Band’s first CD, It seems like a good idea at the time…, is a collection of original tunes by Kurt Aemmer, Kurt Aemmer & Kevin Short, and Jim Lowry, plus covers of their main blues influences at the time, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson.
It seemed like a good idea at the time… comes out of the shoot rocking, but as anyone familiar with this band’s recordings and live shows will attest, be ready for a little jazz or funk when you least expect it!
After their beloved lead guitarist Kevin Short died in January 2004, the band added a horn section, keyboards, and congas, and brought their fabulous backup singers Heather Meagher and Ibidunni Ojikutu front stage to share more of the lead vocal responsibilities with Kurt Aemmer. But It seemed like a good idea at the time… is a snapshot of what The Cathouse Blues Band sounded like in the early years, heavy, gutsy…raw!