Boo Bradley - $5

Friday, February 5, 2010

Boo Bradley is a hot blues stompin', jelly roll jumpin', rag jazz infusin', three-man acoustic jug attack from Madison. You may know 'em best for their big crowd draws in the summer months, sweating out the oldies at the Dane County Farmers' Market. These boys throw down a porch stomp boogie chock full of old time Delta moans from the likes of Son House and Charley Patton, the Piedmont shake of Blind Boy Fuller and the earliest Chicago Ragtime mastery of cats like Blind Blake and Big Bill Broonzy.

Once you get a wiff of what these fellers are cookin', your feet'll know what to do, -cause when Boo Brad and Bill (coming to you in 3D) put their groove stamp on a tune you can't call it nothin' but good ol' ho-maid jelly. Well now, before y'all start clearin' tables and pullin' chairs back

Scott "Boo" Kiker: A true to life Blues Troubadour born in Houston, TX and educated down in Louisianne, Boo honed his vocal and guitar craft the old-fashioned way - tramping the street venues and campfires across the Great States - and even did a stint in Spain. He now calls Madison home where, a few years back, he began trading licks on stage with Madtown's own slide guitar master Catfish Stephenson. Interweaving blistering fingerstyle twang and creamy smooth jazz voicing, Boo stirs up a veritable "moan" and response lover's spat, prodding sassy lyrical backtalk to his punchy fret-grinding guitar work.

Brad Selz: A rhythmsmith who knows that a good washboard is mostly "per-cussin'" and rarely ever "fer-cussin'", Brad provides the raw front porch shake and rattle that so many find so hard to sit still to. Of course, it's not just about keeping the laundry clean. Brad keeps a snare, bass drum, high-hat and brushes handy for when a song might need a little more spank and rasp. Hailing from Eau Claire, WI, our stompmeister spent a summer not too long ago hopping trains and hoboing out west before settling into Madison and forming the tapping half of Boo Bradley. He must have picked up something sleeping to the clack of the track all those nights, because this train arrives on time.

Bil Solomon: A real stand-up guy. He's kept the floor with his solid and sure bass thump for such local famed acts like Yid Vicious and The Dangits. Bil does his fair share in this band. Besides keeping the other two wild seeds in line with that porch humming low end, he also throws in sweet harmonies that will have you longing for the smokey trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains.