{"id":12062,"date":"2017-01-13T05:30:03","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T10:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=12062"},"modified":"2016-12-07T11:25:40","modified_gmt":"2016-12-07T16:25:40","slug":"the-nighthawks-from-acoustic-to-full-on-electric-onslaught","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/13\/the-nighthawks-from-acoustic-to-full-on-electric-onslaught\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nighthawks: From Acoustic to Full-on Electric Onslaught"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since their start in 1972, journeyman blues outfit The Nighthawks<\/strong> have been faithfully doing their part to keep the blues alive. Though the lineup has changed \u2013 only founder-leader Mark Wenner<\/strong> remains from the original group \u2013 the Washington, D.C.-based quartet has consistently breathed fresh life into the uniquely American musical form. Joined by vocalist Billy Price, the Nighthawks played their last Pittsburgh-area show of 2017 on December 16.<\/p>\n

While countless bands attempt to \u201cupdate\u201d the blues for modern audiences, Wenner has resisted taking the Nighthawks in that direction. \u201cI’m very much a traditionalist in a lot of ways,\u201d he tells me. \u201cI’m deeply rooted in having listened to Chess, Sun and Excello Records over and over when I was young enough for them to make a really deep impression. Even working on a contemporary piece, I still have that really strong sensibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"nighthawks\"<\/p>\n

The band has released nearly 30 albums since its 1974 debut. While none has sold in quantities enough to make the group a household name, the Nighthawks’ catalog is held in esteem by many blues critics. \u201cThere are<\/i> one or two [albums] that I wish I could obliterate,\u201d chuckles Wenner. \u201cI won’t mention any names. There’s at least one album out there I would like to see disappear. But other people seem to like them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nighthawks’ most recent album isn’t one of those. Back Porch Party<\/i> explores a different side of the group while maintaining a traditional approach. Recorded live in the studio with a small audience in attendance, Back Porch Party<\/i> features only acoustic instruments. \u201cWe played with upright bass, acoustic guitar, [blues] harp without the amp and a single snare drum,\u201d explains Wenner. The group sometimes does live shows in that \u201cunplugged\u201d configuration, but even in an acoustic setting, the Nighthawks bring energy to the music. \u201cPeople dance,\u201d says Wenner. \u201cIt’s not like we’re suddenly in a coffee house with everybody staring at their espresso.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wenner and his band are always ready to crank it up and rock out some electric blues, but the singer sees value in dialing it back now and then. He comments on the younger crop of blues musicians and their influences. \u201cTheir jumping-off point was Cream<\/strong> as opposed to Jimmy Reed<\/strong> and John Lee Hooker<\/strong>. And so their natural inclination is to ‘shred’ a little bit, to pound on it. In contrast, sometimes I like to really get down and super-quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

He recalls one of his favorite examples of that approach. In 1987 the Nighthawks were in Europe for the Belgium Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Festival, also known as Blues Peer. \u201cI watched Ronnie Earl<\/strong> with Roomful of Blues<\/strong> walk down off the stage; he brought [his guitar volume] down to the point at which he was not playing through the amplifier. On an electric guitar!<\/i> He was just hitting the strings fairly hard. And that audience \u2013 that rowdy audience \u2013 hushed to the point where you could actually hear him. And it was so dramatic.\u201d Wenner notes that what Earl did that night was \u201csomething that Buddy Guy<\/strong> does occasionally. Volume and dynamics: It’s part of the B.B. King<\/strong> legacy of getting really, really, really quiet to balance out the hard-hitting shit.\u201d<\/p>\n