CW Ayon - Bounce, Boogie & Bump (2024)

CW (Cooper) Ayon may be based in the deserts of New Mexico but his music takes its inspiration from further south, in particular in the Mississippi Hill Country rhythms of the likes of RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, both of whom he name checks as influences. CW sets up the rhythms with a simple kick/snare drum while playing a variety of guitars, adding slide and harp from time to time to further deepen the sound which is enhanced by double bassist Felipe Toltecatl. CW wrote all the material here and the album was recorded in The Church at Tulsa, Oklahoma by Gary Laney and Mike Prado.

The title track tells you everything you need to know about CW’s sound as he sets the pace with a hypnotic guitar riff underpinned by his percussion efforts, inviting everyone to the party. “Chicken Wing” is given more of a Delta feel through the slide work, the surprise being that the song is not about food, but about attraction, CW offering to “hold you tight under my chicken wing” and adds some blazing harp to another song aimed at the feet, “Wiggle & Shake” before dropping the pace just a shade for “I’m Shoutin’”. That brings in a much slower pace for the moody “Southwest Mama”, acoustic guitar and mournful harp setting the scene for CW’s description of his girl, CW then demonstrating some good picking skills in “Off The Ground”.

Slide is used most effectively in “Bring It Home”, CW’s crystal clear vocals extolling the virtues of his girl who has “the kind of love to bring me home” and the more relaxed style continues into “Been A Long Time”, another tune with a naggingly hypnotic riff at its core. Returning to his acoustic, CW claims that he has “my hand up in the air, one foot down here in the blues”, but that it has “Nothin’ To Do With You”. CW closes the album with two contrasting numbers: the instrumental “Creosote” barrels along with harp over an electric riff while “Mountain Smoke” is more atmospheric with quiet acoustic guitar and drums. Those who enjoy North Mississippi Hill Country blues should find plenty to enjoy here.