Big Joe & The Dynaflows – Layin’ In The Alley – Black Top Records BT-1098

Hailing from Washington D.C., Big Joe Maher was profoundly affected by his father’s bountiful LP collection and via the blues shows all over his birthplace locale.  When young, he selected the drums as his instrument-of-choice, and post high school he assembled a three-piece band that showcased both blues and jazz, before then taking the spot as the percussionist in guitarist and singer Tom Principato’s touring band.   But, honestly realizing that his true musical framework veered toward an upbeat, swinging dance-tailored flair, Maher formed Big Joe & The Dynaflows to focus on such jump blues outings.

This 1994 release provides 12 delicious, well-crafted songs, teeming with class, skilled musicianship, and overpoweringly enjoyable material that summarizes the entirety here as one that commands frequent listening. 

Big Joe’s first-class percussion and vocals aside, the collective Dynaflows clearly accepted his enthused musical objectives hook-line-and-sinker.  We find Rusty Bogarts’s astounding guitar proficiencies exceedingly inspired, with Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff’s and Derek Huston’s saxophone sprees highly arousing.  Jeff Sarli’s bass work is continually on-point, while Kevin McKendree’s tasty keyboard patterns significantly excite.   As a unit, all involved swing, sway, and deliver the model settings the musical incursions here possess.

If you luxuriate in blues and jump songs with titles such as “Trouble, Trouble,” “Okeshemokeshepop,” “Shame, Shame,” “That’s It,” and “Big Legs,” then you must unconditionally take this outstanding collection home and put it in your CD player.

Highly-recommended!