RICK HOLMSTROM

At a time when the blues market is enthralled with all “the next Stevie Rays,” there are still those who mine the depths of blues without the pyrotechnics and stadium-rock mentality. Rick Holmstrom’s debut, Gonna Get Wild, demonstrates that the young cats can still uphold the idiom of barrelhouse blues. Sometimes something as seemingly easy as a blues shuffle can be dismissed as boring. It takes an experienced player with imagination and a backlog of hours devoted to the craft to give each shuffle its own identity. Infusing different rhythms, styles, and heart into the fray is a surefire way to bring this across, and this is what Holmstrom does with his arranging and deft guitar work. Many in the Midwest know Holmstrom as the guitarist for Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, the blues circuit’s tour-de-force act from the Golden State. Five years in the guitar chair for the group has certainly honed his chops, but Holmstrom has also developed an ear for recording. The guitarist penned all of the 12 cuts on Gonna Get Wild. The party starts with the album’s title tune, a rollicking soufflé that sets the tone for the rest of the hop. And just like a good party, there are little mood swings here and there to keep things interesting without taking you so far out that you forget where you are.