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Jul 23, 2020 Web Exclusive By Mark Moody

First of all, if you’re not familiar with Monte Warden it requires a bit of a walk back through alt-country’s earliest days. Before there was Uncle Tupelo’s No Depression, or the same named magazine, there were a handful of earlier bands that dotted the landscape. And no, we’re not going all the way back to Gram Parsons. Some of the earliest bands on the early-’80s cowpunk forefront included Nashville’s Jason & The Scorchers and Austin’s Rank and File. As the decade marched on, the genre began to broaden and other Austin-based bands emerged. The LeRoi Brothers had more of a rockabilly thing going on, Kelly Willis had a voice that was a dead ringer for Patsy Cline, and Warden headed up a group of energetic traditionalists called The Wagoneers.

Warden was always one to cater to the ladies in the crowd at The Hole in the Wall and other spots with a shake of the hips and a non-stop smile, but the group also had a swaggering energy about them and Warden could write a heck of a song. Though The Wagoneers only recorded two albums, standout tracks like the Alamo-themed “Stout and High” and a bit of romantic intrigue south of the border, “Por Favor Señor,” still leave a taste of trail dust and boot leather. Warden went on to record a few solo albums the following decade and wrote more than a handful of songs for country music superstars like George Strait and Patty Loveless.

So 20 years on from his last solo record, it was more than a little intriguing to see his name again. Warden has certainly earned the right to do what he wants to do, but putting together a cookin’ little jazz combo may not have been what one would have seen coming. Checking the liner notes, all dozen of the songs on display here are originals, but sound straight from “the kicking that gong around” era of The Cotton Club. Warden’s voice is very much intact from the early days and the horn work of Erik Telford and tickling of the ivories of T Jarrod Bonta are spot on.

Though your mileage may vary, the album, overall, just doesn’t make for that exciting of a listen. There are a few notable exceptions. In particular “Martini”—which shares a riff from Chuck Berry’s “Little Queenie”—is a boisterous good time. Though maybe only Warden and James Bond prefer it this way, the cry of “shake, shake, shake, martini” is hard to resist. The spotlight moment of “Missing us Most of All” is a sentimental winner and Warden’s ability to endlessly repeat the title of the grittier “Schadenfreude” is truly impressive.

Otherwise, tracks like “Here Kitty Kitty” and “Sultry Samba” are about as compelling as they sound and the trip down memory lane will be lost on most. Everything here is note perfect and expertly sung, but unless you are a fan of the era, the chances of a repeat listen are probably pretty slim. That being said, if Warden and his combo were playing “Martini” when you walk into the Driskill Hotel bar, you’d no doubt pull up a chair. But, you were probably going to do that anyway. (www.facebook.com/montewardenandthedangerousfew)

Author rating: 6.5/10