Guitarist Russell “Hitman” Alexander’s East Coast based act The Hitman Blues Band enjoys one of the best reputations in the best bands in the blues scene. Their popularity as both a live and recording outfit sets them apart from many other acts; it is a genre where bands building their act around ransacking the genre’s past is common and relying on original compositions is rare. Their latest single “Not My Circus, Not My Monkey” is a prime example of why it has been worth the band’s time pursuing their own material. It takes enormous self-belief to avoid traveling the path of least resistance, but you hear that confidence in the band’s music.
WEBSITE: http://www.hitmanbluesband.com/
It comes through in so many ways. I can hear it in the unabashed energy the horn section generates. Two saxes blowing with a third player coming in on trumpet is a classic way of expanding a blues band’s potential and, in the case of the Hitman Blues Band, it pays off enormous dividends. They have an assertive sound from the first that balances well between such traditionally dominant instruments like brass and guitar.
During this song the brass has a delightful way of punctuating each line Alexander sings and adds a tremendous amount of emphasis to the song’s chorus. Alexander has a singing style that I call wide-open, meaning he gives everything of himself physically the song demands, but I would never call his vocals uncontrolled. He communicates a wealth of personality for this track without bulldozing listeners with unnecessary histrionics.
Alexander’s guitar work has carried him this far for a reason. He learned how to play a variety of styles during his salad days and that serves him in good stead, without a doubt, as a live musician. The blues, however, is woven into his makeup at a DNA level – risking cliché, he sounds like he was born to play this music. His approach to the track is astute.
He reins in his playing during the verses. The ornamental touches he drops in during the verses are ear candy and other guitar work in those moments helps further flesh out the composition. His slide guitar run in the song’s second half is, for me, the instrumental highlight of “Not My Circus”. Alexander lets loose with freewheeling creativity and an impressive amount of energy, but there’s nothing slapdash about the way this comes together.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/not-my-circus-not-my-monkey/1553111245?i=1553111246&ign-gact=3&ls=1
The song does not break any new musical ground. It is not what The Hitman Blues Band is about. Alexander and his bandmates are reaffirming the value of a time-tested style but they pull it off with singular aplomb rather than merely aping their predecessors and contemporaries. There is no doubt they provide an entertainment experience all their one and, without having experienced them in a live setting, I am confident saying these qualities among others are responsible for their concert appeal. They are blues festival mainstays and it is easy to see that continuing now that the pandemic is receding into the rear view mirror.
Chadwick Easton
The music of The Hitman Blues Band has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com