Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King have been playing together for 25 years, and it shows. The Dallas, Texas native Kubek and Delhi, Louisiana-born King met in the late 1980s, and collaborated with Kubek as the band leader and King a featured player. Over the years, the terms of the partnership have evolved until King became an equal partner in the early 2000s.
What makes this fiery combo tick is the interplay between Kubek’s searing guitar and King’s jazzier counterpoint.  From their first release in 1991, Steppin’ Out Texas Style, 1993’s Texas Cadillac, Take Your Best Shot in 1998, Blood Brothers in 2008, and many others, the pair have developed a body of work that most would be envious of.
Fat Man’s Shine Parlor is another enjoyable release in a long line. “Crash and Burn,” with its old-time rock ‘n’ roll bounce, and the steamy guitar riffs on “Brown Bomba Mojo” are great examples of the excitement the band’s dual lead guitar approach can create. “Cornbread” is a down-home blues rocker that will heat up the music hall, “River of Whiskey” slows it down a bit (but not too much) and “Done Got Caught Blues” provides a slow, yearning blues wail. Yet the standout piece on the album is the lone instrumental, “Lone Star Lap Dance,” on which both guitarists evoke memories of one of Kubek’s major influences – the great Freddie King. Give it a listen below.
Joining Kubek and King on the album were Sheila Klinefelter on bass, Eric Smith on drums and, on three selections, Kim LaFleur on guitar.
Audio Stream:
[audio: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7770435/Lone%20Star%20Lap%20Dance.mp3]
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.