Bigdumbhick - A Little Bit Weird (Self Release)
Jeff Wall grew up in Tennessee and he now resides in North Carolina, playing mostly on the local circuit, where he has developed a reputation based on a hard-work ethic and a natural talent for song writing. He taught himself guitar during a 20-year career in the navy and was persuaded to record his songs for the first time in 2016. Since then, Wall has earned his stripes, playing in all kinds of venues, at all types of functions - a long path littered with plenty of stories to tell from gigs in all kinds of strange places. This is Wall’s fourth release and it’s a great listen. With a generous thirteen songs and over fifty-five minutes of listening time, the album boasts an engaging production with plenty of organic playing from Wall and his musician buddies that really bring his songs to life.
Using a performing name of Bigdumbhick gives an early image of someone who is out to trip himself up, or worse still, to scare the kids away. Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing north of 25 stone, it’s understandable to have such an impression; but don’t get fooled by this sleight of hand. While there is no disputing that Wall cuts a serious presence, my feeling is that he comes over more like a big old wise grizzly bear. And the first song on the new album, Unicycle, gives testament to this, when he sings, ‘ I'm a bear riding a unicycle, wobbling around the ring, I'm old and I'm fat, I wear a dumb little hat, I'm just trying to do my thing.’ As a code for living the simple life, it sums up his down to earth, humble approach to it all.
With his humorous, witty words, and ironic world view, Wall is an artist that will certainly turn a few heads. If you enjoy the keen observational eye of James McMurtry, with some of the old wisdom of perhaps, a Guy Clark influence, then you may well find yourself seeking out the company of Bigdumbhick. This performance moniker probably doesn’t serve him well if looking for new admirers, but I can assure you that it’s all very tongue in cheek, the self-mocking joke being more an inverted way to win friends and influence people. A testimonial from Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers fame, does no harm at all and underlies the talent that creates these songs. A perspective that is worthy of serious attention.
When you look beyond the wicked sense of humour, you find plenty to pose some serious, heartfelt questions too. First Cup Of Coffee looks back at the values of older generations and is in tribute to his father, ‘My old man is gone but I wish I could ask him, If he ever felt the same in his day, You don't have to like it, you just have to do it, That's one of the things that my old man would say,’
Also, with the song, Help Me Mama, I Can’t Breathe, the shocking death of George Floyd is the subject for righteous anger and frustration at the way Black minorities are treated, ‘8 minutes, 46 seconds, The time it took for him to die, Another person executed, Being Black his only crime.’ The jagged, edgy electric guitar of producer Tom Troyer venting the rage in a really dynamic arrangement.
Equally, closing song, Choices, is a deeply personal regret that Wall holds over his inability to support his pregnant girlfriend, back in their teenage years. His decision to run from the reality of the situation haunts him ever since and this very honest apology is something that Wall clearly has thought long and hard about including on the album. It’s just a vocal and an acoustic guitar, bare bones, and reflecting, ‘Being young and scared that ain't no excuse, That won't justify the things that we choose, And every choice we make comes with a price, Some you pay right now, others take the rest of our life.’
The playing has an addictive, loose, almost ramshackle feel in places, but is filled with inspired interplay among the musicians. Recorded at Big Rabbit Audio in Greensboro, North Carolina, the talents of Mark Byerly are to the fore on a combination of lead electric guitar, resonator and slide guitar. He is joined by Mark Dillon on banjo and mandolin, with Evan Campbell on upright/electric bass and Aaron Cummings on drums. Jack Gorham plays accordion, Caleb Baer and Christen Mack both contribute on fiddle, and producer Tom Troyer also adds some key parts on electric guitar and calliope (a keyboard instrument, resembling an organ, but with the notes produced by steam whistles). Jeff Wall plays acoustic guitar, in addition to providing all lead vocals. His vocal tone is very engaging and bears a rugged quality that fits perfectly into the character of his songs.
He wrote all thirteen tracks and included are memories of his childhood on the folky blues of 1968 Lebanon, TN; the country steel twang of I Don’t Know Where I’m Going,’ and the witty observations of a traveling musician on ‘Ain’t Nobody Listening To Me.’ Another great road song is Check Out Time and the race to check out of the motel each morning, ‘I played a club just up the street / I had them people on their feet, The party moved down to my room / Daylight came way too soon, I got to bed at half past 7 / Check-out time’s at 11.’ Wonderful stuff!
‘What We Ain’t Got’ is a heart-felt tribute to those old local hardware stores in rural America, ‘We got everything as you can see, What we ain’t got, brother you don’t need.’ The country cheating song, Every Bone In Her Body, is a hilarious look at two sisters who are having affairs with two best friends and the words speak for themselves, ‘I guess I ought to hate her but she's the mother of my kids, I love every bone in her body except for his.’
Bigdumbhick is a great discovery and his music will bring plenty of enjoyment to those who jump on their own unicycles and wobble down the road on this colourful journey.
Review by Paul McGee