Woody Crabapple - Drowning Man Blues (2025)

Originally hailing from rural Big Flats, N.Y., and now based in the hills of central Connecticut, Woody Crabapple is a multi-instrumentalist who recently added harmonica to his playing arsenal of guitar, keys, bass and drums. And he debuts his new talent on this completely self-produced album.

Woody started out as a drummer at age nine, pounding out a beat along to his sister’s Monkees LPs. A self-described aficionado of popular music, he’s an avid reader on the subject who’s fascinated about the number of B-side recordings became major hits during the golden age of 45s.

And he’s influenced by a wide range of talents, including Rory Gallagher and Roy Buchanan, both of whom he witnessed live, the three Kings – B.B., Albert and Freddie, Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower and others too numerous to name. Woody handled all aspects of production in his home studio on this one. The only outside help he received was from his wife, who helped out on handclaps.

Almost all of the numbers in this set would have fit comfortably in the 45s era, considering their playing time – with two exceptions – runs under three minutes. But Crabapple’s playing style runs in the contemporary-but-traditional blues vein. And the rhythm patterns that support the tunes occasionally come with a click-track feel.

“Mad Momma Blues” opens the action. It’s a steady-driving shuffle with an extended guitar solo, and Woody’s mid-range voice describes detail crawling back home after a night on the town and having to face his lady’s wrath before she lets him in again. It yields to the rock-steady “Pounding the Kraut,” which finds his missus in the kitchen and in the process of combining cabbage and salt to make sauerkraut and in no mood for company until she’s filled her jars and her work’s done.

The mood changes but the tempo remains the same for the straight-ahead blues, “The Past Is Gone.” It’s delivered from the standpoint of a man reflecting on a relationship and wondering what he could have done to change its negative outcome. Featuring another extended six-string solo, it’s the longest song in the set, tipping out at about four minutes.

The beat accelerates somewhat from the downbeat of “Mona Maria,” which describes a woman “that when you come around, she’s glad to see ya.” She’s no high-class lady, but she’s his lady. Guitar licks express his desire. Harmonica blasts open the minor-key ballad, “Drowning Man Blues,” which recounts someone losing his life despite the failed attempt of rescuers who’d all been drinking. The mood brightens with the uptempo rocker “Let’s Have a Party,” which advises not to sit around and let your hair grow gray.

The straight-ahead blues, “You Were Born to Die,” provides counterpoint to the song that precedes it. The song opens with the description of someone who ran around on the streets, acted like a clown and met his early demise, leaving loved ones to cry. The session closes with a cover of Amos Milburn’s ’50s stop-time pleaser, “Thinking and Drinking.”

Obviously a labor of love, Drowning Man Blues is available through Apple and other major download sights. It’s a pleasant listen despite its flaws. Woody’s vocals and guitar are solid, but a little outside help would have made his songs shine.