Andy T Nick Nixon by the Numbers
Andy T. and Nick Nixon aren’t doctors, but the stuff they’re dispensing sure is good for what ails ya. For their third release, the band utilized the services of Anson Funderburgh as producer. Although he only plays on one cut, his influence can be heard throughout. Funderburg drew from a deep well of string pullers from bluesman including Albert Collins to Jimmy Reed, Don Rich’s country telecaster sound in Buck Owens’ band, to the jazz stylings of Barney Kessell.
For this outing, Andy T. (Talamantez) keeps his sound grounded in Texas most of the time, “Shut the Front Door,” his twang drenched guitar on the opener, “Shut the Front Door” sounding like Jimmy Vaughan’s rockin bar band on a sweaty nite at Texas honky-tonk.
“Devil’s Wife” sounds like the Holmes Brothers backed by Jimmy Vaughan with a horn section (featuring Kaz Kazanoff on tenor) that fell out of legendary producer Cosimo Matassa’s (Fats Domino, Lee Dorsey Little Richard) closet in the ’50s. Built on a framework similar to Wynonie Harris’s “Bloodshot Eyes,” it’s a rollicking jump blues thumper you can style and profile to on the dance floor.
Funderburgh’s wife Renee penned “Deep Blue Sea,” a deep groovin’ jump blues. Nixon has the voice of an angeleic evangelist, but his focus is more on matters of the flesh of the voluptuous female variety than matters of the spirit.
“Tall Drink Of Water” is a Cajun flavored ode to a big ole hunk of womanhood. Anson’s playing rhythm on this track, but Andy T.’s guitar solo sounds heavily influenced by Funderburgh’s Texas-accented honky tonk.
“Numbers Man” sounds like Robert Cray channelling Albert Collins on a song that could be the theme song for a ’70s era Blaxplotation Shaft -flick. Once again, Andy T.’s guitar is a big part of the musical conversation, setting up a barbed-wire fence around the melody- cross at your own bloody peril.
“Pretty Girls Everywhere” is a’59 rocker that could have been cut by Little Richard on one of his calmer sessions. Andy T. and Nick punch it up a bit though , giving it a Texas rodeo feel thanks to Kazanoff’s sax squawking like a hog tied heifer.
“What Went Wrong” is swamp pop, Andy T. dropping in some Frosty Albert Collins licks in between bursts of Cajun-flavored squeeze-box from Christian Dozzler, Nixon laying churchy soul on top.
These guys don’t just make albums, they lay out a custom tailored outfit that keeps getting better as it goes along, stitching a garment for all seasons that fits all.
Grant Britt