On Smokey Hormel
Always on the hunt for new music, I asked a friend in New York this morning to turn me onto a musician who’s been rocking Brooklyn lately. I had in mind some new young band or artist who hadn’t yet turned heads outside of the tri-state area. She pointed me to Smokey Hormel, saying he’s been playing to packed houses lately and “should be more famous than he is.”
A quick trip to his website, a peek at his bio, and I was a little embarrassed I hadn’t heard of the guy yet. He came up learning guitar from Jimmy Wyble (who played guitar for Bob Wills), cut his teeth opening for bands like X and the Blasters. He made some albums with John Doe and has played with Tom Waits and Beck, among others. He’s had his hands in so many projects across the spectrum of music I listen to, I feel like I should be well aware of him by now. But, alas.
I know who Smokey Hormel is now, though, by golly, and I figured I just had to share.