Mike Bourne — “Kansas City O’Clock — Overton Music
Kansas City has been fertile ground for great American music for the past century – creating feisty blues with an attitude that’s shaped big bands, jazz, rhythm and blues, jump blues, and even the formative years of real-deal rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s.
Those are the deep roots that nourish the music of the Mike Bourne Band. Inspired by the genre-defining music of Louis Jordan, T-Bone Walker and other blues giants, Bourne has recorded and performed with the legendary likes of Otis Rush, Sam Lay, Barrelhouse Chuck and beyond.
As Bourne explains: “Blues and roots music is empathetic and real. I relate to the songs that inspire me and lyrics like ‘Don’t worry about a thing, cause nothing’s gonna be alright’.” That inspiration is what drives his latest swinging album, Kansas City O’Clock, a joyous romp filled with KC musical styles – 12 sparkling originals and a pair of classic covers. Bourne has gathered a supporting cast of more than 20 excellent musicians whose mission was to pump the necessary effervescence into all these tracks. Musical mission accomplished!
The fun begins with the rocking “Can’t Be Anybody But Myself,” with its self-explanatory message and a furious sax solo from KC’s Dougan Smith. “Beer in the Morning” shares its hard-rocking plea for “barley and hops” to start the day: “Give me a Coors, Miller or Bud, cause all I want is my breakfast suds.” The relaxed swing of “Too Old To Be Young” explores an age-old dilemma” “I’m too young to be old, too old to be young.” Lyrical piano by KC vet Jim Beisman introduces the New Orleans rhythms of “Caffeine Blues,” percolating with a rollicking lament for his morning joe.
“Kansas City O’Clock” kicks open the door to a swinging Kansas City world: “A whole big kingdom of a really good time,” closing with a few bars from Leiber and Stoller’s classic, “Kansas City,” Wilbert Harrison’s giant 1952 hit. “Kick’n A Deuce” is a tough R&B instrumental fueled by Bourne’s swampy guitar. “YOLO” is lively, lighthearted advice wrapped up in one sentence: “You only live once, so don’t think twice.” The very traditional “Three Blind Mice” gets a rollicking update with clever contemporary wordplay and a new ending: “You better run now mouse … you busted.”
A slow-burning blues intro sparks the torchy “Really Nice Girl,” who sounds anything but: “A really nice girl, in a vague kinda way.” A cover of John Hahn’s jumping “Dive Bar Romance” raises a glass to looking for something like love: “I had me some beer, had me some hooch, now I need that girl to give me a smooch.” The other cover is a delicious rendition of the wryly salacious “Fore Day Rider” by legendary pianoman and Kansas City bandleader Jay McShann. Austin Barry’s wicked trumpet, Smith’s sexy sax and Beisman’s barrelhouse piano drive this one home behind Bourne’s sly vocal turn.
“Truth Dressed Up Like a Lie” is a tough and bluesy, sax-filled eternal question: “Why does your truth look like a dressed up lie?” The jump blues of “Martini Legs” is a witty look at the difficulty of perambulation following over-libation. The closer is the heartfelt “People Not Politics,” a gently rolling bit of R&B featuring Johnny Burgin on guitar that preaches its title: ”You don’t need funding to build the next building, you only need love to build your children.”
With Kansas City O’Clock, Mike Bourne and his talented sidekicks take us on a vibrant musical odyssey through the storied music of Kansas City. Bourne’s vocals shout his exuberance, the skin-tight band sounds gorgeously loose, and the entire session captures KC lightning in a bottle. We’re left with a vivid image of Bourne, “standing on the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine, with his Kansas City baby and a bottle of Kansas City wine.”
Here’s an interview with Mike Bourne by Michael Limnios at Blues Gr
Blues Roadhouse 