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Rockin' Daddy & The Rough Cuts
Babe's, Lakeville
November 10, 2000
by Ann Wickstrom

There are only a handful of places south of the river that host live blues, but Babe's has been doing it on and off for a few years now, and those of us who live "down that way" are appreciative. The room is comfortable, the dance floor is large, the sound is good, and there's no cover. The challenge seems to be to convince all the patrons over on the sports bar side of the building that they're at the wrong party. Should they have wandered into the room where the band was playing, they would have encountered one of the finest blues bands on the local scene.
The Rough Cuts are: Dan Schwalbe on guitar, Steve Grosshans on harp and vocals, Dave Sanny on bass and Marty Bryduck on drums. The band recently released a CD called "Blues & Tall Tales" on the Blue Loon label. Most of the songs on the CD are originals, and they're so strong that they outweigh most of the covers the band does live. My favorites on this particular night were "Easy Come Easy Go", the jumpin' "Wiggle and Wobble," the medium-tempo shuffle "Yes She Sends Me", and a New Orleans-meets-rhumba groove called "Your Conscience is on My Side." Another cool tune was "Hit the Bottle" from the band's 1993 "Straight Shooter" disc. This one finds Schwalbe sliding up the fretboard to some of the notes (without a slide). "Little Red" started off the first set, a Schwalbe instrumental intended for "Blues & Tall Tales" that was subsequently dropped.

Grosshans is a big Lazy Lester fan and was sure to include Lester's "Sugar Coated Love," although it was ironed out somewhat and played as more of a standard spread. The variety of styles from the Rough Cuts is a big part of their appeal. They played everything from the swingin' "Shake Your Boogie" (featuring a great solo by Grosshans), to Howlin' Wolf's hasty "Squeeze Me", to the mid-tempo "Dreamin' a Dream." This one was written by Milwaukee-based harmonica legend Jim Liban for the Lamont Cranston Band some years ago. The band switched into high gear in the middle of this one and, well, they basically rocked! I know I was watching Dan Schwalbe, but I was half-wondering when Johnny Winter had walked through the door. Bryduck was just SMACKIN' the drums on this one.

Another of my favorites was "No More Alcohol", a rollicking jump blues tune done by Jimmy Liggins that was also recorded by Kid Ramos. But the best song of the night for me was the slow, classic standard "I Smell Trouble." Whether you like Bobby "Blue" Bland's version, Ronnie Earl's, or one of countless others, you'd have to love the way Schwalbe carved this one out. He did a very faint, extended solo on this one that was so hushed you could have heard a rat pissing on cotton. If there is another blues guitar player in this town who knows more licks and strings them together more gracefully than Dan Schwalbe, I don't know who it is.

To those of you who live south of the river, stop in at Babe's sometime and check out the band. It might be the Rough Cuts or it might be someone else, but either way, don't be shy. As Slim Harpo would say, "Tip On In!"

The October 2000 issue of Blues Revue had a small piece on our CD, Blues and Tall Tales.

"If you crave classic sounds, look into "Blues and Tall Tales" (Blue Loon 038). This release from Minnesota's Rockin' Daddy and the Rough Cuts effectively bridges 1950's Chicago and contemporary West Coast blues with hard shuffles and swing, in a style similar to early Fabulous Thunderbirds. Guitarist Dan Schwalbe'stone is all Fender tweed righteousness, drummer Marty Bryduck and bassman Dave Sanny know where to hit and when to lay out, and Steve Grosshansis a solid singer and harp player. It's all good, from the CrescentCity-inspired "Why Do I Stay" to the Chicago shuffle "Can't Believe."

(If you don't get the inside reference about "Fender tweed", in the 1950s guitar amplifiers built by the Fender Electric Instrument Co. were covered in a herring bone luggage fabric that's commonly called tweed. Maybe the best sounding amplifiers ever made.)

One listen to the swamp blues of "C.O.D." should convince any doubters that the new engine room of Marty Bryduck (drums) and Dave Sanny (bass) is well up to the task. The tune, which was first recorded in 1991, sounds like something from the Jay Miller songbook, and relies heavily on the bass and drums to keep things rolling along. The other tune stemming from similar traditions ("Elbow Room") could easily have been written by Slim Harpo, and Grosshans and Schwalbe achieve the perfect swamp sound on this one, which is my favorite track here.

As you would expect, the band take in Chicago, and the West Coast along the way, and there are no signs of any deterioration in the songwriting skills (or highly accomplished playing) of Schwalbe and Grosshans. The influences are not too difficult to spot, such as on "Long Distance Line," which tips its hat in the direction of SBW II. Rather than just copying and recycling the style, however, Rockin' Daddy and the Rough Cuts use it as a basis to build on, which they invariably do to great effect.

All too soon it comes to last call, "Whiskey and Lemonade." This one is a moody instrumental which features Schwalbe and Grosshans in perfect harmony. The tune stems from the great traditions of post-war Chicago, with Grosshans showing that he has learnt a thing or two from Little Walter, rounding off the album in fine style.

"Blues & Tall Tales" is a thoroughly enjoyable album, packed full of great music. Fans of the "Straight Shooter" album will not be disappointed by this one. The line-up and the music may be different, but the overall sound remains the same. So it all adds up to a big thumbs-up for "Blues & Tall Tales."

If you have difficulty tracking down "Blues & Tall Tales" try the Blue Loon web site (www.blueloon.com). At the same time check out (http://sites.netscape.net/theroughcuts/homepage/homepage.html) and find out where Rockin' Daddy and the Rough Cuts are currently at.

This is the second CD from Rockin' Daddy & the Rough Cuts (Straight Shooter was released in 1993). Although the line-up is a bit different, here again accomplished musicianship and a deep understanding of tradition result in a "real deal" recording, providing a glimmer of hope in a musical genre that has recently seen its share of departures from the roots of all things blue. All tunes are originals, although "C.O.D." originally appeared on the 1991 cassette "I Can't Stop It" by guitarist Dan Schwalbe's former band, Blues Deluxe.
Front man Steve Grosshans brings authenticity to his harp playing and has a relaxed yet confident vocal delivery, never forcing his vocals or allowing them to sound contrived. In his 25+ years playing the blues, Dan Schwalbe has mastered every lick you've ever heard, and even some you haven't (no, really!). The guitar passages seem to just tumble out of him-one after another in succession-some with a bounce, some with a sting, all with incredible taste. Marty "It's-All-in-the-Wrists" Bryduck is a first-class drummer, providing the steady simmer that keeps the Rough Cuts cookin'. Dave Sanny is the bedrock of the band, sealing their chemistry and laying the bass line down straight-just the way it should be. The band is also aided and abetted here by two fine piano men: Lamont Cranston veteran Bruce McCabe (now playing with Jonny Lang), and Mike "The Hook" Deutsch. Highlights of this CD include the medium-tempo shuffle "Yes, She Sends Me" (often referred to as a "flat tire" in these parts) and the slow, Fats Domino-flavored "Why Do I Stay". And don't miss the lyrics on the jumpin' "Wiggle and Wobble", Schwalbe's ode to the female dancers who "hit the floor, spinnin' like a top". We've all seen them ... it's about time someone wrote a song about those amazing gals!

This is most definitely old school/Chess records type of Blues/Boogie/Swing. You have Steve Grosshans on harmonica and vocals, Dave Sanny on bass, Marty Bryduck on drums and Dan Schwalbe on guitar. Steve’s harmonica is so damned Fat that it has got to be dripping grease all the while he plays. He is from the less is more school, no John Popper crap here, no sir ree.

This CD is fifties feeling swing/rock/blues/boogie that as I stated, Fifties Retro all the way. Here are the tunes - Yes She Sends Me, C.O.D., Why Do I Stay, Your Conscience Is On My Side, Easy Come/Easy Go, Joker On Your Back, Elbow Room, Wiggle & Wobble, Long Distance Line, Can’t Believe and Whiskey Lemonade.

I give this CD a (6 1/2) harp Salute because this CD is true blue, no Bull Shit musicians, they play with conviction and they make all the notes count, no need to be flashy when you know ya got it going on. This is a must have CD for those of you that like music the way it was being produced by Chess Records and being played by real bluzmen that did not need to put on a Show when they were good enough to Perform!