T-Bone - Good 'n Greasy (2022) Hi-Res

The mix of traditional and original material underpinning T-Bone’s eleven song debut Good ‘n Greasy isn’t uncommon. Many other songwriters and/or musicians have sensed the possibilities of working within a tradition and utilizing its tropes, sound, and aims as an ideal vehicle for self-expression. What sets T-Bone apart from others, however, is the seemingly effortless balance they achieve between the retro, modern, and eternal. Grounding their music in traditional instruments such as mandolin, banjo, and fiddle doesn’t date these songs but, instead, gives each one a familiar face for listeners before carrying them off in different directions.

It’s apparent from the first. I half wondered, going into this, if T-Bone opening with “Lucille” heralded some sort of bluegrass reinvention of the Little Richard classic. No. It’s a traditional track rearranged by the band as a straight-ahead blues, albeit powered by mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and guitar rather than the latter alone. Fiddle player Richard Klein delivers a memorable lead vocal that I’m sure will play even better for live audiences. It isn’t difficult imagining him improving on its high quality for New Zealand audiences on the band’s current tour of the North Island.

Despite three members of the band being native Kiwis, the band’s identity transcends borders. “T-Bone Rag”, the album’s second track, could have just as easily been written and recorded by a group out of Tupelo, Mississippi as it is by artists hailing from such far-flung locales like Dublin, New Zealand, and New Jersey. It’s one of the album’s most enjoyable romps and only one of the album’s two tracks where mandolin player Michael Muggeridge takes lead vocal duties.

The multi-instrumentalist talents of several band members are crucial for the album’s success but, even more so, the vocals are a highlight. Having four capable lead singers who can take the helm gives the band stylistic flexibility that few others share. Their songwriting prowess has a long reach, as well. Multi-instrumentalist and singer Gerry Paul is the group’s primary writer, without question, but each member is a significant contributor, and it further diversifies their sound.