Translated from Dutch, by Philip Verhaege:
“New Orleans has always been unique among American cities. Multi-ethnic, Mississippi, its swamps, the voodoo scene and its delicious Creole cuisine are so specific. Jazz was born there, and in the 1950s New Orleans was also the source of a distinctive stream of R&B, blues and rock and roll. The band The Hungry Williams epitomize all of this. They took their name from Charles “Hungry” Williams. The founder of the beat behind a series of acclaimed recordings shot at Cosimo Matassa’s studio in the French Quarter. His exceptional beats-percussion was reminiscent of Caribbean hoodoo.
Kelli Gonzalez (lead vocals), Joe Vent (guitar, vocals), Jack Stewart (keys), Mike Sieger (bass) and drummer John Carr together with the horn section of Troy Leismann (tenor saxophone), Julia Bustle and Bob Jennings on baritone saxophone, the core for the exciting party band The Hungry Williams. The release ‘Brand New Thing’ was already recorded between December 2018 and March ’29 at the Makin’ Sausage Music and the Crow’s Nest studios in Milwaukee, WI.
Mike Hofmann was responsible for the production and all this resulted in this fifteen track record. They kick off with the title track. The sax arrangements and deep bass lines immediately provide that swinging fifties feeling. Kelli Gonzalez’ rocking vocals give just that extra touch to the sound. They swing through their oeuvre with a pleasant mixture. From ‘Everybody Loves Me’ (Why Don’t You?) it moves quickly to the nice pelvis ‘Hook Line and Sinker’ and the sexy ‘Where’s My Baby?’. Sunny David and David ‘Curlee’ Williams’ Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ got a complete makeover. And that dance leads us to a first slow blues with ‘Baby Don’t Do It’ and the NOLA blues tracks ‘Go On Fool’ and ‘For You My Love’.
The swinging horn section is almost a constant in the set list and the guitar riffs often sparkle as well. Just like in the piano boogie woogie song ‘Wild Wild Young Men’. Back to The Crescent City for a moment for ‘Stick A Pin In The Voodoo Doll’, the jumpblues song ‘No More Heartaches’ and the Doo-Wop track ‘It’s Raining Outside’. The punk rocker ‘Whip It On Me’ diverges with the sixties girls rocker ‘When I Meet My Boy’ and the closing swinging soul song ‘Get Your Hat’.
Drummer John Carr met Kelli Gonzalez in New Orleans during a session with the band Big Nick and The Cydecos. With a shared love for New Orleans R&B, they founded The Hungry Williams a few years ago. Good looking!”
