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HUCKLEBUCK

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Formed by singer/songwriter/guitar player Sam Hare in June 2003. this young London-based 4-piece band features the talents of Giles King on harmonica, Jamie Lawrence on the bass and Mimi Hajime on the drums, having recently replaced Mike Thorne.

The band has an impressive combined resume, including studio or gig work with The Matt Schofield Trio, Ian Siegal, Lee Sankey, The
SpikeDrivers, Lightnin’ Willie & The Poor Boys, Earl Green, Jeramiah Marques & The Blues Aces, Zone Fluffy, Sonarfly, Bad Town Blues and Mr. Hirofumi Bamba.

Hucklebuck are deeply rooted in the Blues, yet they approach it in a fresh and contemporary fashion, producing a polished mix of originals and individually-treated covers characterised by Sam’s haunting and soulful voice, his ‘twanging telecaster’ and Giles’ flowing harp. The funky rhythm section holds down the groove, whilst pushing the band to different places every night.

They recorded their debut album Sam’s Town in 2003 at Richard Studholme’s original Tone Zone studio in Kent. The album is mostly made up of Sam Hare originals, and features contributions from slide guitarist Roger Hubbard and singer Corrina Greyson. Blues in Britain magazine called it”an appealing slice of Blues meets Country Americana — a stand out debut”. The album has sold well across the country and songs from it have been played on Paul Jones’ Jazz FM Blues show, BBC Radio Suffolk, Florida’s WMNF Radio and ‘UK Bob’ Hewitt’s show on WRFG Atlanta, Georgia. Last year, they were voted “2nd best blues band in the country’ according to the listeners of Phoenix FM. REM radio in Spain recently featured Hucklebuck for a whole show on Sid Oliviera’s Late Show, conducting a live interview with Sam Hare.

Hucklebuck have become a popular feature of the London Blues scene, with a virtual residency at Soho’s Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues bar to packed houses every time. They are also gathering a substantial following across the country, having played well known venues in Warrington, Bishops Stortford, Nottingham, Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Chester, Maryport, Harrogate and Darlington. A live album/DVD recording is planned for 27~ May 2005 at The Running Horse in Nottingham.

“BLUES IN BRITAIN” (Vol. I, issue 26, Jan ‘04)
HUCKLEBUCK is a new outfit, although the four members of this youngish
South East/East Anglia band are all experienced musicians, having previously recorded and/or performed with Lightnin’ Willie’s Poorboys, Fat’nin’ Frogs, Barroway Blues and Delta Moon among others. Their debut six-track El’, Sam’s Town mixes four tunes from the pen of guitarist-singer Sam Hare along with covers from Muddy Waters and Chick Willis. The lead track “You Just Bring Me Water” is an appealing slice of blues meets country Americana augmented by Roger Hubbard’s slide guitar and Corrina Greyson’s backing vocal.

The short 12 bar instrumental rumba “Surf ‘N’ Turf” has tasty guitar and harp from Giles King. The shuffle “Poker Machine” has more fine harp and guitar work, the gambling subject being the theme of the disc’s artwork. The closing original, the acoustic guitar and harp driven “Moving Through Georgia” again mixes blues with country to good effect. The two covers are respectable but it is the new material that makes this debut disc stand out. I imagine that we will be hearing more of Hucklebuck in the near future.

HUCKLEBUCK @ Alexander’s, Chester London based blues band Hucklebuck ventured north recently for a mini autumn tour and fortunately for the local nucleus of blues siblings the itinerary included
their first gig in Chester. The guys warmed up with an almost ‘Ventures’ style instrumental. ‘Surf n’ Turf’, written by vocalist and lead guitarist Sam Hare. Chuck Willis’s ‘Feel So Bad’ preceded another Hare composition the up-tempo ‘Poker Machine’ revealing the fiscal dangers inherent in games of chance. Since both were in the key of ‘C’ it seemed logical to segue straight into the dark and harrowing ‘Riverside Blues’. Next, Johnny ‘Guitar@ Watson’s ‘Lookin’ Back’ before some re-tuning on Sam’s Telecaster resolved into the introduction for the tough monochrome ‘You Just Bring Me Water’. the first track on the bands
excellent debut CD Sam’s Town’ and if someone doesn't give this a great review in BM! I’ll write one myself and send it to Alan. Bass player Jamie Lawrence featured heavily on ‘Down Along’ laying down a funky start-up beat and continuing with a smoother incessancy. Throughout the evening I had been eyeing up Sam’s gold top Epiphone ES295 in the corner (mahogany nect, rosewood fingerboard, twin alnico V P90s...) and it was eventually put to it’s intended use during ‘Sand Letter Blues’. Giles King used his space in this sluggish piece to alternate his harp tone between hard-edged serration and wailing falsetto. Giles proved a fine player who is also spending quality time with Lightning Willie and the Poor Boys. Drummer Mike Thorne had recently left to be replaced by Mimi Hajime who carried the band along at a fine lick during the Allman brothers ‘Southbound’ and the encore ‘Wee Wee Baby’. Hucklebuck are a crack blues band and in Sam Hare they have a fine composer and singer with
a classic lean delivery. Band Line-up: Same Hare, vocals, guitar: Giles King, harmonica: Jamie Lawrence, bass; Mimi Hajime, drums.

Nigel Rose
‘Blues Matters!’Bring Me