Trevor Babajack Steger

When I step out to my local Tuesday night Blues and Roots Club this is exactly what I’d like to hear! Trevor pulls out all the tools for the genre on his solo album ‘Sawdust Man’. Gravel voice (a la Tom Waits/Seasick Steve etc.), guitar (with varying rhythms), harmonica and stomp box.

The title track opens this ten song collective and chugs along like were on a Mississippi boat ride hunting alligators. ’Runaway Train’ motors down the track with some top mouth organ licks on its destination, loving a free spirited woman on the way for all her imperfections. Personal favourite ‘Black Dog’ is a catchy little number down tempo on the previous two, but cleverly laid with swirling guitar licks.

The ‘River Song’ instantly brought similarities to the latest Robert Plant style of Folky/Asian influences that he’s adopted. Trevor switches it up with some heavy doses of slide guitar on ‘Red Boots’ hitting on a jealousy vibe. ’Cat Scratch Fever’, a title made famous by American Rocker Ted Nugent, but no not the same, as Trevor digs deep into his gravely vocal chords and crossfires with harmonica brilliantly on this number.

’Been So Long’ has that really early Quo (Yes, Status) style before they went out and out twelve-bar blues, whilst ’Stranger in Hell’ takes us down tempo with an open a beer and chill mode. ’Something On My Mind’ picks us up kind of Hillbilly in it’s manner, while the closing track ‘Went Out Walking’ rocks with the harmonica/filtered vocal only tune, cleverly bringing us to an end.

While I may direct this to the mid-week Blues and Roots Club goers - it can easily be appealing any day or mood of the week. Get on it people!

Geoff C.