voice of dog

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"The folks who comprise the Boston-based Bees Deluxe call their brand of music “Acid Blues,” and that’s a good place to start, but that ain’t the half of it.  The band explores a myriad of influences on their latest, “Voice Of Dog.”  Conrad Warre is on guitar, coaxing an unbelievable array of tones and sounds over this set, with Carol Band on keys, Aldo Dorr on bass, Patrick Sanders on drums, and Rosy Rosenblatt guesting on the harp.
 

Those aforementioned influences include the Afro-Cuban rhythms of Mongo Santamaria, the stylings of bassist Jaco Pastorius, and even saxman Paul Desmond.  It’s all mixed with a dose of traditional Chicago blues and a little British Invasion, but they are liable to hit you with just about anything.  Check out the jazzy, spaced-out “Fake Instrumental,” featuring Rosy’s harp dancing around Conrad’s deft lead lines.  You gotta love one of the set’s few vocals, the all-in-fun “Flat Earth Conspiracy,” a trip-hoppish number that flies in the face of all things logical, even insisting “the moon is made of green cheese and is six feet wide!”  Rosy’s on hand again for the guitar-harp interplay of “Spaghetti Western,” an instrumental that simply begs for The Man With No Name to make one last, glorious stand!  “You Say Red” is an example of the Brit influence, with Carol’s organ making a cool statement as our hero is continually at polar opposites with a lover.  By far, tho, our favorite had to be a blissful, sprawling, ten-minute instrumental cleverly-entitled “A Conversation With Bjork And Buddy Guy,” featuring a string section and Conrad riffing on excellent Chicago-styled blues with a hint of Ronnie Earl.

Fans, Bees Deluxe is sho’ nuff a piece of work, and that ain’t no lie.  But, if you’re not afraid to take a chance on a group of accomplished musicians doing things a little bit differently, then put on your avant-garde hat and dig “Voice Of Dog.”  Until next time"
— Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues And Roots Alliance.

"Guitarist Conrad Warre, a regular on the stage at CBGB’s and other New York rock clubs in the ’80s, has toured with artists such as Joe Jackson, The English Beat and the Specials. Now, fronting Bees Deluxe, he delivers an arresting brand of “acid blues,” as illustrated on the band’s recent album, “Voice of Dog.” Songs such as “Beer,” “Song No. 9″ and “Industrial (Espionage)” have a classic blues feel to them, but there’s an ineffable modern edge to them immediate and fresh."
— Victor Infante, Worcester Telegram.

"You just have to look at the song titles to see that you are not dealing with an average blues band here. And that also applies to the musical plane. It is almost impossible to put a musical label on the band Bees Deluxe from Boston. They keep it to “acid blues band” themselves, but I think that term is far too limited. Personally, I think it's great when a band throws all kinds of music styles in a blender and makes something of their own. And that certainly happens on this album! The band consists of Carol Band on keys, Allyn “Aldo” Dorr on bass, Patrick Sanders on drums and percussion and Conrad Warre on guitar and vocals.

The album opens with Song No. 9, a languid bluesrock song but with absolutely no standard blueslicks but with the necessary references to the work of Steely Dan and Frank Zappa with the hard-piercing guitar work of Warre in the lead role. Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt is a guest on harmonica in Beer. If you don't get thirsty from this song, I don't remember either. "I Need you, but I want a beer, I want you but I need a beer". This in a loom J.J. Cale-like song with howling harmonica. All Miles is also a relaxed rocking song in the J.J. Cale / Mark Knopfler street with jazzy guitar work that can also sing in the best Jeff “Skunk” Baxter tradition. Zappa also secretly looks around a corner in this instrumental. Industrial (Espionage) again makes it difficult for me. What do you call this style? You hear Mike Stern-esque guitar work bouncing over lazy synthesizer. Symphoblues? Progblues? Flat Earth Conspiracy is another lazy funky blues song full of ingenious breaks, which in turn provide a prog rock edge a la King Crimson. Partly due to the heavily distorted Robert Fripp-like guitar work. In Blues For Cameroon we go on the semi-acoustic Afro tour in which Brazilian samba sounds can also be heard. In the funky Fake Instrumental, the blues fusion and prog rock are lumped together again with bluesy harmonica and adventurous guitar work. But why "fake" instrumental? Guest drummer Colin Rosso can be heard in Strange Matter. A song, which is also difficult to describe. You hear fragments of Dire Straits, King Crimson, Steely Dan and blues passing by. Don't expect Ennio Morricone-esque music in Spaghetti Western. What you do get is the crying harmonica of Richard “Rosy” Rosenblutt and lazy jazzy guitar work. You can best describe You Say Red as a Steely Dan boogie. And Bees Deluxe closes the album in a way that only they could have come up with. Take that title alone, Imaginary Conversation Between Björk And Buddy Guy! In this ten-minute instrumental you will hear Warre show his skills on the guitar over a floating synthesizer bed."
— Peter Marinus, Blues Magazine. 


Voice of Dog was produced, recorded & mixed by Joe Egan and co-produced by Conrad Warre. The band's album members are as follows: Carol Band on keyboards, Allyn “Aldo” Dorr on bass, Patrick Sanders on drums & percussion, Warre on guitar & vocals, with special guest musical appearances from: Richard “Rosy’ Rosenblatt on harmonica, Colin Rosso & Paul Giovine on drums, and Tad McKitterick & Jonn Smith (of Sidewalk Driver) on background vocals.

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