When guitarist Steve Ferguson left NRBQ in the early '70s, the name still meant New Rhythm & Blues Quartet, and the name of his own group, an ever-shifting agglomeration called the Midwest Creole Ensemble, is similarly instructive. On his own, however, Ferguson shows little of the oddball eclecticism of his old chums, preferring instead to deliver a solid if somewhat derivative brand of R&B. Seemingly still wearing the influence of his 1991 collaboration with Chuck Berry's piano player, Johnnie Johnson, Johnnie B. Bad, most of Jack Salmon & Derby Sauce has a laid-back roadhouse vibe, as if it were recorded by a band at their usual haunt in front of an audience of friends to whom they have little to prove. That gives the album a nicely intimate quality, but unfortunately, it also makes the proceedings a bit dull at times. This kind of R&B is at its best when the musicians are in their lean-and-hungry mode, but tracks like "You Don't Like Your Monster" meander where they should burn. The inclusion of a Rolling Stones-like cover of the Merseybeats' "I Stand Accused" (NRBQ's Louisville, KY, roots were in a mid-'60s band also called the Merseybeats) is a nice touch, though.
Jack Salmon & Derby Sauce
Steve Ferguson / Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble
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Jack Salmon & Derby Sauce Review
by Stewart Mason
Track Listing
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
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1 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 04:14 | Amazon | |||
2 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 06:22 | Amazon | |||
3 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 05:50 | Amazon | |||
4 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 04:33 | Amazon | |||
5 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 04:43 | Amazon | |||
6 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 03:55 | Amazon | |||
7 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 04:01 | Amazon | |||
8 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 06:00 | Amazon | |||
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Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 05:48 | Amazon | ||
10 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 00:42 | Amazon | |||
11 | Steve Ferguson & the Midwest Creole Ensemble / Steve Ferguson | 09:04 | Amazon |