All Quotes Used With Permission
From Phil Rainone's Review of
"The Seesions" EP In his Pop Vulture
Column for "Jersey Beat:"
Mimi Nowak - "The
Sessions" EP (www.bigmoosemusic.com)
This three-song EP has the feel of how John Hammond Sr. (Billy Holiday,
and numerous jazz musicians) used to record and produce. He’d pretty
much get the sessions set up in the studio, and go sit the corner, read
a newspaper, and let the band do their thing. And it worked! Most bands
back then had the songs, arrangements, and musicians all ready to go,
leaving the solos, jams, and how the songs were constructed up to the
musicians. On “The Sessions,” it’s hard to differentiate whether the
songs were improvised or purposely deconstructed, and that’s where the
magic of a good song lies.
Also, it takes a strong, worldly woman to turn a song that’s basically
considered from a male’s perspective into a female version, and to try
to make it as meaningful or even more so. Mini and the band approach T.
Bone Walker’s everyday-I-have-the-blues slow sizzler “Stormy Monday”
with subliminal guitar, bass, and drums, which underline Mini’s
potently soulful vocals. She and the band, including Steve Sadowski on
guitar, Gary Hermus on bass, Victor Ruglio on drums, and Arlene Schar
on violin, make every day count with ingenuity and reverence. I
remember Mike Lefton performing the same song a few months ago at The
Blue Moon. Someone at the bar (not any of the musicians) thought that
he was too young (Mike was 16) to know what the song was about, but
Mike was carrying the slow blues number from the original blueprint,
from when it was written into the present with reverence, and adding a
fresh coat of paint.
Mimi sometimes performs at the Open Mic Jam at The Blue Moon in South
Amboy on Thursdays. She sings there with a group of loose and friendly
musicians (about a dozen) who also play in bands at The Blue Moon on
weekends, which is part of what makes it such a special club. The high
level of musicianship, the club vibe, and the all-around fun everyone
has is evident. There aren’t many clubs like The Blue Moon I can think
of in the area that even at an Open Mic Jam, people are dancing, and
applauding (sometimes wildly), the musicians. These are artists that
are tour-van lifers. You can see it in their dedication, and the fun
they’re having is infectious!
Either live or in the studio, Mini and the band tackle Led Zeppelin’s
vengeful “Your Time is Gonne Come” like a woman spurned. She picks
herself up and dusts herself off, ready for round two, using her fluid
vocal imprint which captures the essence of the song, and you know if
she gets her hands on you, there’ll be hell to pay!
They slow down the cadence of the original, adding a slower, but just
as potent mojo into it. If Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (they
recently won Best Record of the Year for “Raising Sand”), had tried to
deconstructe the song, it would have probably sounded a lot like Mimi
and her band’s version. Besides the usual bass/guitar/drums, they add a
violin that subliminally snakes its way though the song, adding some
sweetness to the vile heartbreak that is relentless throughout.
“Lie to Me” brings the EP into current times. The cover of Kenny Wayne
Shepherd’s hot blues romp is slowed down just enough, adding a little
more intimacy than the original, and fleshing out the song's
tell-me-want-I-want-to hear story line. Mimi’s angular, clear-as-a-bell
vocal drives this power-pop gem along quite nicely. Both “Your Time is
Gonna Come,” and Lie to Me” are like poison love letters, and the band
sends them back with a “Return to Sender” vibe!
There are only three songs here, but Mimi, Steve, Gary, Victor, and
Arlene seem to have entered into the songs, mining them, sometimes
changing minor inflections, which directly affect the romantic
defeatism of the songs, rather than just reciting them.
From American
Roots Live's host,
"Nasty" Ned:
"American
Roots Live with Nasty Ned is
not only about the music - it's also about the people. Those special
people who make the music on our stage every Thursday and Sunday. Those
passionate about the music we promote to preserve.
And it's about the vibe those people put out. Mimi Nowak is one of
those people.
She is a talented singer who is out-going, fun loving and enthusiastic
- all about the show - all about learning, sharing and expanding her
abilities - and she puts out that good vibe.
Mimi Nowak is an American Roots Live All Star and we're proud to call
her our friend."
From Singer
Songwriter,
Bass Player, Producer and Engineer,
Gary Paul Hermus:
". . . one
of the greatest interpreters
of song I've ever had the honor of working with."