Hermosa Beach

They include Tom Fillman on drums, a member of the American version of the Spencer Davis Group, and who has recorded with Kris Kristoffersson, Mick Taylor and Booker T. Jones, among many others; the bass player Bobby Tsukamoto, who used to belong to the Jesse Ed Davis band, and who is now a member of the Kirk Fletcher Band; the trombone player Duane Benjamin, an institution as he has recorded for the legends of jazz (Count Basie Orchestra, Stanley Clark, The Gerald Wilson Orchestra), soul (Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Diana Ross, Earth, Wind & Fire) and pop (Michael Jackson); and the keyboard player Rich Wenzel, who has been all over the USA over the last 30 years and shared the stage with The Doors, Van Morrison and Frank Zappa. What is more, Wenzel owns Ardent Audio Productions, the studios where the album was recorded under his technical direction.  

Hermosa Beach has the genetic code of the best black music in the United States: the production is brilliant, the contribution of the musicians excellent. In this respect, a highly powerful wind section led by Duane Benjamin, who handled the arrangements, stands out and the level of the compositions is high –mostly Jogeix originals, some with the help of Jeff Espinoza (Red House). Besides the four personal, amazing adaptations of Jesus Gonna Be Here (Tom Waits), Didn’t It Rain (traditional song popularized by Mahalia Jackson), Give Me Back My Wig (Hound Dog Taylor) and Ain’t No Stoppin’ (Frederick Neal) , a whole declaration of intents of Gaby Jogeix, who comes across as unstoppable right from the start. In fact, from that point onwards Jogeix rides roughshod over the listener, who has no choice but to enjoy the restrained funk of Boom da Boom or Getting Dizzy, the latter on a wavelength close to Maceo Parker, the Sacred Steel gospel sound of Down at Marinette’s, passing through the dobro (Didn’t It Rain), the ballads of a classical flavour in which Jogeix’s excellent voice and singing style sound even warmer (Sometimes), or items more suitable to dance to and energetic like the Southern Give Me Back My Wig and Shake, Shake.

Hear: Shake, Shake