Sleeping With One Eye Open - The Blood Brothers' "Have Blues Will Travel"

Chances are that, somewhere in America, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King are getting ready for a show, living up to the title of their latest from Alligator: "Have Blues Will Travel". Bnois King's melodic voice combined with Smokin' Joe's stinging solos identifies the duo's dependable blend of straight ahead Texas style blues combined with solid rock and delivered with a sly twist.

The title tune tells the story - the best way to escape the blues is to get back on the road again, the ironic lyrics underscored by hard driving guitar licks. "RU4 Real?" is a sardonic look at the effects of Botox, collagen and silicone,the story of a pick up in a dim bar that goes sour when the singer finds out he's got a woman with a rebuilt body. "My Guitar" is underscored with Smokin' Joe's virtuoso turns on slide guitar combined with fluid picking, ample evidence that the guitar is always your best friend.

My favorite is "Sleeping With One Eye Open", a cautionary tale about cheating and being unlucky in love, the title implying that the singer is afraid to take his eyes off his woman, punctuated by more cutting edge riffs. The Blood Brothers' wry sense of humor shines along with Smokin' Joe's slide on "Payday in America", their tribute to Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job and Shove It".

"Have Blues Will Travel" is another example of why Snmokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King are two of the hardest-working bluesmen on the circuit today. They combine muscular guitar, traditional blues riffs and a little bit of sarcasm to come up with their own blues brand. Go see them the next chance you get.