Blues boy

Pat Boyack rocks the house

by Don Fluckinger

Blues purists should stay the hell away from Theodore's tomorrow night, because though he can generate a firestorm of pure blues notes with his vintage guitar, Pat Boyack definitely will play whatever it takes to get the crowd dancing and rocking.

"I'm not into having all the blues purists come out to watch me, study me, and ask me questions about my strings," says the 29-year-old guitarist, who lives in Austin, Texas. "There's probably five of them out there, when there's 500 people, in their Little Walter shirts. A lot of blues purists probably don't think I'm a blues player, anyway."

Pure blues or not, Boyack rocks. His new Super Blue & Funky CD (released on Bullseye Blues) mixes ballads, Texas swing, rockabilly, shuffle, and soul. He plays vintage guitars through vintage amplifiers, but performs only a few cover tunes. He also uses relatively few effects and no studio trickery, so what you hear on the CD will be what you hear at the club. His explanation for playing mostly originals and not the old standards? "Why be standard?" he says. "That's exactly what they are . . . standard."

Super Blue & Funky, Boyack's third album, features an all-new line-up of the Prowlers. The previous line-up split up last year after one member got fired, one member quit music altogether, and another went to California to fulfill long-term family obligations.

Standing out is vocalist Spencer Thomas, whom Boyack values because he has his own style and doesn't try to imitate other blues vocalists -- a high priority for Boyack in his guitar playing at this point of his career. Rounding out the band are bassist Paul Jenkins, who recently completed a long stint with Smokin' Joe Kubek's road band, and Bill McLean on drums, who like Boyack resides in Austin. Although their music is perfectly suited for clubs, Boyack and the Prowlers will have a lot more for blues lovers to like than the average power-chord-slamming bar band, playing another tired rendition of "Why I Sing the Blues." Most of the tunes are upbeat, jumpy tunes that emphasize the grooving, funky side of the blues.

Producer Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff brought that element to the fore on the new album, recorded in Austin's Arlyn Recording Studios. Kazanoff previously produced albums for Marcia Ball and former Muddy Waters guitarist Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin. After several weeks in the studio with Kazanoff, Boyack -- who had planned to take a co-producer role -- handed over the production to Kazanoff. Not only did he do the work completely to Boyack's satisfaction, Kazanoff didn't leave a "stamp" on the album as other producers had done with Boyack in the past; instead, he produced an excellent recording by tweaking arrangements and suggesting different Austin musicians to play in different songs -- including former Fabulous Thunderbirds drummer Fran Christina.

"It was the funnest record I've made -- Kaz had a lot to do with that," says Boyack, who chose Kazanoff based on Margolin's strong recommendation. "As far as blues producers are concerned, Kaz is the best producer out there."

Having one of the Fabulous Thunderbirds in the studio was a career milestone for Boyack, because the group originally sparked his interest in blues while he was growing up in Helper, Utah. Tuff Enuff, along with the early work of T-Bird guitarist Jimmie Vaughan's brother Stevie Ray, inspired Boyack to listen to the blues greats and eventually to define his own style.

That style includes a rich, singular tone created by Boyack's string hitting, unaided by high-tech gadgetry. His guitar plugs straight into the amp, sans filters and the other sound-bending crutches of lesser guitarists. Of course, a pounding-rock style and Texas pride keep things moving, even during his ballads, which come charged with restless emotion.

"I'm very proud of the fact that I live in Texas," Boyack says. "I'm very proud of the fact that I'm playing music and I come from here, because there are so many Texas guitar players and singers that stand out. I really don't know what you'd call my style. I guess you'd call it an aggressive style because there's a lot of emotion in it, a lot of power."

For purists who don't want to hear blues cross-pollinated with rock, country, and whatever else brews in Austin -- they should stay home. Pat Boyack probably won't be playing any B.B. King classics, reproduced faithfully down to the last note. On the other hand, for those who want a rollicking great time, pony up your cover charge and get ready for a great show.

Pat Boyack and the Prowlers appear at Theodore's, in Springfield, on August 16. For ticket information call (413) 736-6000.