Big Harp George (George Bisharat) is a blues singer and songwriter and (as you might guess from his name) harmonica player, based in California. I was turned onto his music a few years ago with the release of Uptown Cool, an album that I seriously enjoyed. Late last year he followed that up with Living In The City, which, like his previous release, is a whole lot of fun. It features all original material, written by Big Harp George. Joining him on this release are Chris Burns on keyboards, Kid Anderson on bass and guitar, Little Charlie Baty on guitar, Joe Kyle on bass, June Core on drums, Ben Torres on baritone saxophone and flute, Doug Rowan on baritone saxophone, Michael Peloquin on tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone, Mike Rinta on trombone, and several other guests on various tracks.
The disc opens with “Build Myself An App,” and right away we get a delicious groove and a good sense of fun. The song’s opening lines are about the struggles that musicians find in this era of streaming music and declining CD sales: “I can’t get ahead/Streaming one song at a time/Fifty damn plays/Barely earns me a dime.” And so his solution is to go outside of music, which of course carries a sense of sadness with it, even an element of defeat, to create an application (I despise the non-word “app”). But this is an optimistic number, and it features some great work on saxophone. “Good God almighty, I’m going to be rich by Friday.” Hurrah! And we can only hope that once that happens, he’ll return to music. The Sons of the Soul Revivers provide some excellent backing vocals. That’s followed by “Smoking Tires,” a tune that deals with one of those endlessly fertile blues topics, ending a relationship and getting the hell out. “I’m gonna run from you, baby/Gonna hop in my car and just drive/And the only thing I’m leaving you/Is gonna be the smell of my smoking tires.” This track includes some really nice work on guitar.
Ah yes, those finger snaps and that work on bass at the beginning of “Living In The City” help create a totally cool atmosphere. This track, the album’s title track, is wonderful. It is a song that struts and prowls, though there is certainly a cynical attitude at work here (some might say “realistic”), clear in lines like “When you find yourself a friend, better heed what I say/Keep your hand on your wallet, or get ready to pay/That’s just loving, loving in the city.” There is so much to enjoy about this track, but perhaps my favorite element is that great work on harmonica. I also love the backing vocals by Lisa Leuschner Andersen. “Copayment” is another playful number, this one about health insurance. Check out these lines: “I know I’ve been a sucker for most of my life/A fact I’m reminded daily by my dear, lovely my wife/Allowing for the fact that I’m as slow as I am/After ten times around, even I can see the scam.” The backing vocals repeating “Copayment” have a classic sound that is delightful. There is also some lively work on keys, particularly at the end. And of course there is some excellent stuff on harmonica. “How about you bend over the table and I’ll wear the glove.” “Bayside Bounce” is a cool instrumental track that kind of strolls in and gets you swaying and moving. I love the interaction between the harmonica and horns.
When I was looking at the track list and saw “Don’t Talk!” the first thing that came to mind was that great scene from Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway when Dianne Wiest repeats, “Don’t speak,” covering John Cusack’s mouth with her gloves and that fur muff. This song has nothing whatsoever to do with that scene, of course, but is about how sometimes speaking can make things worse. This song offers a warning: “You think you’ll sweet-talk the cops, but you’d be the first/You see a situation go from bad to worse/Don’t talk, go on and button that lip.” Later he adds, “All you’re gonna do is put your neck in a noose/Just keep your peace and you won’t be stepping in it.” There is some good work on harmonica. Then “First Class Muck Up” begins with a deliberate, playful false start, which I could give or take. But once the song gets going, it is a delight, with something of a big band vibe, the harmonica working well with the horns. Plus, this track features a great lead on guitar, and ends up being one of my personal favorites.
“Chew Before You Swallow” also offers some friendly advice, and has a good, playful sense about it, with a fun rhythm, but it is the instrumental section in the middle that I like most about this one, with that guitar work. And then later there is some enjoyable stuff on keys. Things then get serious with “Enrique,” a song with a more somber, soulful tone and an excellent vocal performance. There is some pretty work by Carlos Reyes on violin in the second half. That’s followed by “Pusher In A White Coat.” From that delicious opening, this track grabs hold of you. It has a cool, sly style, and features a great lead on guitar. The album concludes with “Meet Me At The Fence,” which surprisingly opens with a wonderful solo by Firas Zreik on qanun. This is another of my favorites, and it features Amal Murkus joining Big Harp George on vocals, and Loay Dahbour on percussion. This track creates a whole other world, and invites us to step inside.
CD Track List
- Build Myself An App
- Smoking Tires
- Living In The City
- Heading Out To Itaipu
- Copayment
- Try Nice?
- Bayside Bounce
- Don’t Talk!
- First Class Muck Up
- Chew Before You Swallow
- Enrique
- Pusher In A White Coat
- Meet Me At The Fence
Living In The City was released on October 10, 2020.
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