The Mimi Nowak Project - Record Release Party - The Blue Moon, South Amboy, NJ - September 10, 2011

“Once in a blue moon”- Derived from the fact that the lunar and calender months aren’t quite the same, and some years have 13 full moons (the 13th is called the blue moon;) i.e., something that very rarely happens.

With the opening salvo of James Brown’s “I Feel Good (I Got You)” to an almost SRO crowd at The Blue Moon, The Mimi Nowak Project kicked-off their record release party in their own original, and unique, rock & roll/blues style!

By the end of their first set, all during their second set, and well into their third, a good chunk of the crowd were up, outta their seats, shakin’ their tail feathers, and applauding, after each and every song! The crowd at the Moon is always appreciative, and the bands give it back ten fold.

Like a sultry, sometimes salty vocal siren (think Carla Thomas), Mimi and her ace band tackled hits (Van Morrison’s soul/funk “Domino”), one-hit-wonders (The Box Tops gritty rocker “The Letter”), blues classics like “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” and standards like their mash up of Al Green’s soul stirring “Take Me to the River” and CCR’s mojo-workin’ hit “Born on the Bayou.”

And then there’s the band’s cover of The Beatles’ “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window.” Now, for a long time Joe Cocker has had the distinction of THE best interpretation of the song, as far as I’m concerned. But that night, it felt like the band was living inside that number as they belted out what I think is the new definitive version, with all due respect to Mr. Cocker. It was just so much fun to hear them refresh an song that the original was amazing, and Cocker’s cover was amazing, and now The Mimi Nowak Project’s version is…amazing!

The Mimi Nowak Project (and The Blue Moon itself) is a “once in a blue moon” experience!