Motor City Josh - A driving force for the blues - Motor City Josh and the Big 3. The Barrels, Friday, March 28 by Michael Mee.

Motor City Josh and the Big 3 weren't so much a band as a phenomenon that arrived at Barrels on Friday with the force of a hurricane. Once gone there was an almost eerie silence, however that may change when my hearing returns in a few days. Yes, it was loud. In the confined spaces of Barrels, loud easily becomes too loud. But from the opening chords of Willie Dixon's I'm Ready the audience bought into the spirit of the night and eventually the cry went up for more volume.The second track Let's Party was a statement of intent because from then on it was high-octane blues all the way.

If your image of a blues band starts at the gnarled and ends at decrepit, you may have to think again. The Big 3 - 24-year-old Caleb Ford (brother of Josh), Adam Spafford and Damien Lewis blended talent, hard work and the arrogance of youth that saw 'father figure' Josh Ford having to cede ground at times. Mind you at 31 he's hardly ready for the rest home himself but during a blistering version of Peter Tosh's Legalize the boys indulged in their own version of perpetual motion. That's right one of the godfathers of reggae covered at a blues gig and coveed superbly, if it doesn't find it's way on to CD there just ain't no justice.

Josh Ford's voice comes straight from the 'deep South' somewhere around his bootstraps would be my guess. The cigarette, which was a permanent feature - either in his mouth or in the end of his guitar - could be a contributory factor but the difference between his growl and his younger brother's rather more refined delivery gave the band a contrasting point of focus.

MCJ are obviously a band tempered by playing in front of audiences less receptive than Friday's - and it shows. They know instinctively how to put on a show, during Woman With A Whole Lot Of Dough - a mini-gig in it's own right - Ford (the elder) gestured, grimaced and grinned maniacally while the Big 3 just grooved. The energy from the band was so infectious it may require quarantine when they return in September.

But amongst all the showmanship lurked a couple of moments that told a different tale. Bar Life, the story of how the blues chose Josh Ford, showed that while he loves the life he knows it's not the easiest way to make a living. If the eyes are the window of the soul then Ford's didn't lie. Deep into the second set, as all this magical mayhem unfolded, Caleb Ford weighed in with Real Love, from the band's first CD and now handed down to him. It may be highly entertaining but at its core lay the music, during Real Love there was no time for showbusiness four talented musicians united and the effect was stunning.

You could describe Mannish Boy as the night's tour de force, but how would you then categorize Living Like A King In The Ghetto? Different but equally superb.The same problem arises when pitting the red-hot riffs of the Ford brothers against each other, or the bass of Spafford against the drums of Lewis, who pulled off the trick of making a drum solo entertaining. But why bother? MCJ is a collection of individuals who are truly a band with an indefinable quality that rises above talent and practise.

I've had my attempt at describing the almost indescribable. All I can do now is recommend that you grab the opportunity to find out for yourself when they return.

Michael Mee
Editor
The Hawick News

Motor City Josh has earned a name around town as one of the most tasteful and talented young blues guitar players. His sound has always been far ahead of his years, giving evidence of someone who’s done some living, some paying attention, some paying dues and has learned how to put it all to music. Unlike so many younger players, Josh consistently resists the temptation to go blazing over the top, choosing instead to seek and find each and every right note for just the right occasion. On this, his second CD, Josh shows off not only his guitar-playing chops but his great voice and songwriting ability. It obviously didn’t hurt to have such a strong supporting cast to help him bring this project off with the best possible musicianship. A glance at the roster of musicians lists some of the city’s strongest players, from horns to keyboards to drums. This is top of the line.

UP NORTH BLUES By Keith A. Owens

Seeing Motor City Josh (Ford) and his band live is like riding on a Mississippi river boat during a storm. The rhythm section churns the waters like a paddle wheel and Josh's guitar brings on the lightning. He extracts sounds from his Fender Telecaster like a mad surgeon who knows exactly what he's doing, but is having a little too much fun doing it. As a man who has shared the stage and or opened up for such Blues greats as Buddy Guy and members of Albert Collins' Band The Ice Breakers, Motor City Josh isn't shy about infecting Atlanta with his own contagious Blues style.

Blues Man Motor City Josh : By Phranc D'Lux

It's very rare you come across something genuinely different in the blues idiom. Step right up Motorcity Josh.

For while the band's blues ancestors clearly belong in the Albert Collins and to a lesser extent Albert King bag, the exuberant guitar playing, humorous vocalist Josh takes in the spirit of Elvin Bishop, adds an avalanche of swing, and tops it all with his own unique style of playing and big personality.

Motorcity Josh & The Big 3 are clearly a band for whom the notion of slipping into a groove all night would never be enough. Sure there's an insistent funky undertow to the title track of their last album "Going To The Country", but as the band demonstrated on the hugely impressive and humorous "Big City Hillbilly", they are not afraid to follow Josh's spontaneous flights of musical fancy which can be anything from a mid number rockabilly swing sweep to an extended, almost parody of an outro.

Topping all this unlikely mayhem is Josh's big toned guitar. The band had apparently barely touched down from a long haul flight when they had to drive to a couple of hours to pick up their back line, then drive directly to the gig, and without an pause for breath, blast straight into a wonderful set. And still the band conjured up an awesome fat tone!

On "Little Hoochie Mama", the band swing like crazy and Josh and brother Caleb on guitar traded licks with evident joy, while on the hugely impressive "The Funkin' Blues Are Killing Me" they came close to a smooth Percy Mayfield style that gave the band a great opportunity to stretch out&ldots; which of course Georgia's finest did to the max as the crowd roared them on.

Motorcity Josh can be filed under good time funky blues with tons of spontaneity and the contemporary ghost of Albert Collins and the occasional fishing song. You'll have to catch them live to realise the sweet soul funk of "The Skillet", and the basso profundo vocals of the remarkable Josh Ford.

Pete Feenstra - Soundcheck magazine

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