Artist:     Mark Hummel

Album:     Wayback Machine

Label:     Electro-Fi

Release Date:     1.17.2020

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Harmonicist’s Mark Hummel’s Wayback Machine, true to the title, is an album that could have just as easily come out in the early ‘60s as now. Hummel actually patterned the sound of this album on the Bluebird Records sound of 1930s and ‘40s but we usually don’t think in those terms, especially with Chicago blues traditionalists like guitarist Billy Flynn aboard, but Hummel was consciously trying to honor the forebearers of the electric Chicago blues. It might be fun to put it on and have folks guess which year it was released and then try to further stump them by asking what era of music it is based on.

The Bluebird label recorded many Southern-born artists who came to Chicago to record and later became iconic blues names like Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Boy Williamson (aka Rice Miller), Eddie Boyd, Tampa Red, Memphis Slim, among many others. The disc has three tunes from Williamson and a deliciously raw version of Eddie Boyd’s classic “Five Long Years.” Hummel blows harp and sings on most tracks with core accompaniment from the West Coast combo The Deep Basement Shakers (Aaron Hammerman (piano), and Dave Eagle (washboard/percussion). Billy Flynn plays guitar on 10 of the 16 tracks, with Kid Andersen on bass for 12.) Recorded at Kid’s Greaseland Studios, Mississippian Joe Beard, who played with the late Son House, picks guitar and takes the vocal lead on the last three tracks, Boyd’s “Five Long Years,” “Say You Will” (written for Beard by Hummel, and the standard “Mean Old Frisco.” Given that Hummel’s forte is harp rather than vocals, it’s distinctively different and refreshing to hear Beard singing.

Hummel and his supporting cast deliver a vintage traditional blues album with no gimmicks, effects, or showboating. Some of that traces to Hummel’s work as a musicologist who understands the musical origins, his knack for the traditional style of playing, and to the cats he brings aboard. Flynn has long been considered the first call guitarist in Chicago for traditional blues and Andersen is recognized as perhaps the most versatile recording engineer and producer in blues right now. Additionally, The Deep Basement Shakers are an East Bay duo that have long specialized in primal juke joint type barrelhouse blues n’ boogie in their stripped down approach. They, too, are steeped in the musical traditions of bygone years of American roots music.

You may more closely associate Hummel with his acclaimed “Harmonica Blowouts” or his Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue featuring Anson Funderburgh and Little Charlie Baty. Hummel’s latest installment of the “Blowout” featuring Magic Dick, Lee Oskar, Jerry Portnoy and special guest Duke Robillard will have just concluded prior to this release. Hopefully the West Coasters reading this caught that. Regardless, it’s time to climb into that “wayback machine” and enjoy a healthy dose of traditional blues.

—Jim Hynes