Main Blues

Bump Kitchen is one of the finest R&B outfits around and Live at the Yale catches them at the storied Yale Hotel in Vancouver, B.C. giving our neighbors to the north a taste of the good stuff. Unfortunately The Yale closed on November 21st of this year, but the spirit lives on in the record.

The 10 song set of originals (many written by Jho Blenis) features mostly songs from their 2002 release Big Ol’ Bones and a few cuts from their most recent studio release, 2009s Who Ordered the Waffle?, including both title tracks. Bump Kitchen plays across the Pacific Northwest region and the state performing at all the major festivals, most recently at this years Fall Sunbanks and Taste of Music in Snohomish. They have played at Bumbershoot, the Taste of Seattle, Edmonds and Tacoma and clubs everywhere.

Photo By Bill Bungard

On Live at the Yale, Bump Kitchen is sporting a new line up since Waffle with the addition of multiple, Washington Blues Society Best of Blues Award winning horn man Tom Mazzuca, saxophone, percussion and minus Jho Blenis-Saucier, guitar. Band leaders Everett James-Chef de Cuisine, drummer and Tony Harper-Sous Chef, vocals and percussion along with Chefs de Partie Mark Bittler, keyboards, vocals; Joe Bevens, bass, vocals; David Broyles (who Tony worked with in Mother’s Friends) guitar, vocals and and this kitchen produces some tasty stuff. From the strutting funk of songs like “Don’t Doubt” and “Big Ol’ Bones” to the slow R&B ballad “I Broke My Baby’s Heart” and the humorous true life story of “Who Ordered the Waffle?”

I particularly enjoyed “Back In The Day” from Waffle with its 1970’s soul groove that I am sure packed the dance floor for some cheek to cheek grinding. They cap off this 2011 live set with a brand new song with the quick paced organ driven instrumental groove “Runnin’ From The Kitchen” which also gives Tom a chance to really stretch out with some dazzling sax lines and David to lay down some fiery guitar licks. On Live at the Yale, Bump Kitchen provides a hearty spread of spicy R&B that will satiate your musical appetite.