(Behemoth) For a little over a half decade now, every Thursday night at Austin club Jovita's, is where you'll find The Cornell Hurd Band playing their hot mix of swing/tonky tonk/jump blues. The CHB has become a mainstay and one of Austin's premier bands, one that rarely plays outside of Austin except for occasional dates in Dallas and Houston. The band also has a long, storied history, the beginnings of which date back to the late 60s when Cornell played in his first band, and later in the late 70s when the earliest incarnation of what became The Cornell Hurd Band surfaced- though in Florida. After several promising false starts and stops during the 80s, eventually the then-core members of the band gradually migrated to Austin, where the band remains to this day. 

Contradictory as it sounds, The Cornell Hurd Band is a band in both the tightest and loosest terms. Over the years the core line-up of this 10 piece outfit's changed, with many a first rate musician passing though, coming back and leaving again. Yet most still return to sit in with the band whenever they're available from time to time, and there's always a steady stream of 'guest' vocalists who drop by to lend their talents, some of whom include Johnny Bush, Marti Brom, Wayne Hancock and Mike Barfield, so one never knows what the line-up will be on any given night or recording. Despite never knowing who'll show up to sit in, the band is one of the tightest units in music.

Live At Jovita's captures one of their famed Thursday night shows and the band's line up for this disc is: Cornell Hurd (vocals, guitar, trumpet), Paul Skelton (lead guitar), Vanessa Gordon (fiddle), Terry Kirkendall (drums), Cody Nicholas (vocals, piano, organ, trumpet), Richard "Bad Dog" Power (baritone sax), Herb Steiner (steel guitar), Justin Trevino (vocals, bass, guitar), Blackie White (vocals, guitar), Danny Roy Young (rubboard), Debra Hurd (accordion), Kevin Smith (standup bass), Randy Glines (bass), Lisa Pankratz (drums), Howard Kalish (fiddle), with Marti Brom, Uncle Raoul Hurd and Dee Lannon dropping in for guest vocal turns.

Many of Cornell's original songs are 'inspired' by his traumatic first marriage and an ex who didn't leave behind much in the way of fond memories, which provides a good deal of Cornell's schtick and bitingly sarcastic and humorous lyrics. However, he knows where to draw the line without taking it over the top, and as goofy as some of his songs are, he also provides a good measure of first rate honky tonkers, barroom weepers and swing, as well as some well chosen and terrifically executed covers. The CHB presently employs four lead singers (Cornell, Blackie White, Justin Trevino and Cody Nichols), who along with assorted guest vocalists, gives the band a lot of stylistic range to work with.

On this 24 track live set, CHB delivers a healthy dose of red hot swing with Fred Rose's "I Don't Care What You Did When You Lived In Ft. Worth," "157 Linmore Dr.," the rockabilly infused swing of "Hoy, Hoy, Hoy," the Tex-Mex influenced tip of the hat to band member Danny Roy Young "Rubberboard Playing Man,"  a jazzy/swing version of "Moonshine Melody," a lounge/swing rendition of the Bobby Darin hit "Artificial Flowers," and the jump swing "Cool Touch, Hot Night."

Hardcore honky tonk shuffles and two steppers abound with "You Don't Care What Happens To Me," "I Don't Want To Love Anyone This Much Again," "What Would Ernest Tubb Have Done?," "(Set 'Em Up) I'm Afraid To Go Home," "Shiny And New," "I Cry, Then I Drink, Then I Cry," and "Tell Your Shrink I Said 'Thanks For Nothing'." Barroom weepers include a sterling cover of the Ray Price hit "A Thing Called Sadness," the completely irreverent humor of "The Genitalia Of A Fool," and the lovely "Our Way Of Life." 

The CHB tosses in some Tex-Mex with "My Missing Years," some talking blues with Uncle Raoul on "Income Tax Blues" and "Down & Out Blues," while Blackie White provides a swinging jump blues take on "Nyquil Blues." The band also delivers three absolutely stellar instrumentals, a cover of Floyd Cramer's "Last Date" that features Cody Nichols' brilliant honky tonk piano, the dreamy ballad "The Albatross" spotlighting Paul Skelton's masterful guitar work and the closing track, the bluesy "Texas Night Train" that gives all the musicans a chance to shine.

You can't go wrong picking up any of the Cornell Hurd Band's releases. But there's something extra special about their live discs, especially for those of us who live outside of Texas- and particularly Austin. While for most of us it's 'the next best thing to being there,' their live releases show that all the musicians involved with the CHB- past, present and 'guests'- are not only incredibly talented, but are all truly family, if not connected by blood or marriage, definitely in spirit. Live At Jovita's brings it all home. 

Standout Tracks:  "A Thing Called Sadness," "I Don't Want To Love Anyone This Much Again," "(Set 'Em Up) I'm Afraid To Go Home," "My Missing Years," "I Cry, Then I Drink, Then I Cry," "Cool Touch, Hot Night," "Last Date," "The Albatross," "Texas Night Train"

The Last Word:  Filled with humor, great songs, danceable melodies and a seemingly endless supply of first rate musicians, Live At Jovita's is the next best thing to experiencing the real thing up close and personal.

On The Net:  www.cornellhurdband.com  www.texasmusicroundup.com

AnnMarie Harrington TakeCountryBack November 2003