I don’t think I’ve ever featured any music from NRBQ on this blog which is surprising because they are always rock solid. Consistency is a trait I really appreciate and NRBQ has been just that for over 46 years now, which seems like a crazy amount of time for a group that has went kind of under the radar of the pop charts for most of that time but has built a cult following that counts some of the biggest names in music as fans. They were even on TV as the house band on The Simpsons for a couple of seasons ( see Matt Groening’s drawing of the band above.) They are known as musician’s musicians with a real sense of humor and a huge playlist that enables them to pretty much play anything. I don’t know if they still do this but they used to have a milk crate with question marks painted on it that leader Terry Adams would stand on to take requests from the audience.
Founded in 1966, the lineup for NRBQ, an acronym for New Rhythm and Blues Quartet, has changed a bit in the last decade or two but Terry Adams stills pushes them forward despite his own battles with throat cancer. Adams, if you didn’t know, is the blonde mop-haired pianist who seems to have a Dorian Gray thing working for him. He looks pretty much the same as he did when I first came across them back in the 70’s.
Here’s a song from the original members of the band as they perform I Got a Rocket in My Pocket, the old 50’s rockabilly song from Jimmie Lloyd. This is from around 1980 and is a good example of the band and their sound. It’s also a good beat to carry you through what most likely will be a hectic weekend for most of you as you prepare for the holidays.
Redtree Times 