Pacific Sun
October 2, 2001
"Let's keep the focus local and zoom in on the pure, unadulterated blues. There's rarely a shortage of dedicated blues outfits making the club circuit rounds, but to my ears few truly distinguish themselves. I'm not dissing a rich, time-honored genre, just calling attention to the special chemistry necessary to transcend the music's structural predictabilities. ONE MORE MILE, a trio with New York roots that re-formed in the Bay Area back in 1999, makes the cut.
Reverent disciples of authentic Chicago electric blues, guitarist Craig Kloor, bassman/vocalist "Jersey" Jim Nestor and drummer Lee Thompson add a coat of contemporary polish that won't ever be mistaken for mere lounge lacquer. Jersey Jim's pitch-perfect growl and rhythm section partner Thompson's Gibralter-solid, unadorned beats mesh perfectly with Kloor's eminently tasteful fretwork. A purveyor of impeccable Stratocaster tone, whose taut chord-heavy style often evokes Jimmie Vaughan, Kloor is fully capable of rattling off a sneaky-fast note barrage when the mood strikes.Hear the real deal.
Mike Thomas
Pacific Sun Music Critic
One More Mile Press Reviews
Yahoo Blues Group
August 2, 2001
I was at the Boom Boom Room this last Monday to see One More Mile for the first time and was totally blown away. Jersey Jim had said this band plays a true West Side Chicago blues and I'm sure Magic Sam is somewhere smiling because these young guys stayed true to their promise and made me feel like Rush Street was on the corner of Fillmore and Geary. The energy from these guys got the joint jumping early on and with Jonathan Korty (from Vinyl) guesting on the Hammond there were some real nice solos passed back and forth between all the guys on stage. The Road Trip Gang and those guys couldn't stay off the dance floor and probably feel as I do that One More Mile is the real deal and we'll all be dragging our friends to their shows whenever we can. It was one fun Monday night with a packed house, and I'm sure they'll be asked back there as soon as possible. Go check out One More Mile as soon as you get the opportunity--these guys, in a humble and gracious way, are keeping their vision of no-nonsense high energy Chicago blues alive and kicking.
Jack Cohen
Moderator
Various Emails
"All I can say is you guys are fantastic. I was at Thunderfest in Grand Island and caught your show, you guys blew the lid off the place."
"You guys put on one hell of a show!!"
"Caught a show over Christmas at Lou's Blues on the Wharf....incredible!"
"You've made fast fans out of me and I'll be dragging anybody I can to your gigs cause you guys more than met my expectations."
"We saw you guys at 19 Broadway in Fairfax and you guys were incredible"
"You guys ROCK!!! I can't wait to see you again!"
"My wife and I saw your group play @ Lou's Pier 47 on Saturday night 8/31/02 while we were vacationing in San Francisco CA. I love blues music and I was extremely impressed with your unique sound and upbeat rhythm. As a matter of fact, I liked your sound so much that I quickly purchased your CD titled "Three Piece and a Biscuit" (***Spectacular***). I played that CD more times than I can count over the entire 1300 mile trip touring Northern and Southern California. What a great vacation...and your music "jacked me UP"
"I saw you at the Boom Boom Room and you guys were great. I danced to every song you played."
"My girlfriend and I were determined to find live music on a Tuesday night [Feb. 25] and MUSIC did we find! We agreed that the band was awesome and Craig made us want to stand up on our table and throw out some handkerchiefs -------Memphis style theatrics! What a memorable stay and hearing your band cinched the deal! Keep it coming!"
"CRAIG ----- that boy can play!!!!!!"
"I drove away with a new found perspective on how well the blues can be played."
Here are a few reviews and comments One More Mile has received. Do you have anything to add? The ThunderFest festival organizer sure did...
One More Mile Fan Reviews
Sonoma Tunes.Com Reviews:
December 5, 2002
Lou's Pier 47
I forget how much I just love these guys. [At Lou's Pier 47] one can meet people from all over the world. I do appreciate the fact that they book da blues seeming how venues are far & few in between anymore. It's great place, with great atmosphere, to sit and watch da blues.
The weekends are a whole 'nother story! It gets pretty wild in there. Me? All I need is a floor front and center, that's all I need. And some blues...Dance floor front and center and blues, that's all I need. Pure and simple.
The place had a decent crowd that was diggin' that sound of...
Jersey Jim vocals & bass.
Craig Kloor on guitar and...
Lee Thompson on drums.
That's all I need....Dance floor front and center, da blues on stage, Jersey Jim, Craig and Lee playin' da blues! That's all I need. Nothing else.
These guys put out some big sound for such a tiny band. Craig Kloor? Who the hell is this guy? That's what I always hear when I mention him. Man can this guy play! You want guitar and lots of it? This is the band for you!
The whole show is very theatrical! He really plays for the crowd. Gotta see his performance for a one of a kind show. His facial expressions tell the whole story: satisfaction, sadness, anger, happiness, Baby-what-have-I-done-please-come-back.....you can read it all in his face.
You want some grindin', full body singin'? Then Jersey Jim is the cat for you. He can really belt them out. I love it when he really puts that growl into it and it kinda gets a grindin', quiverin' sound. Man...does that give me the chills. His bass playin' covers lots of territory and he and Lee (on drums) have their work cut out for them. Like I said...It's a small band with a big sound.
The whole band just feeds off energy from the crowd. The more you put out...the more you get back. I just love that exchange. That's why it's important for me to be right in their faces.
That's all I need...
Dance floor front & center.
Da blues on stage.
Jersey Jim, Craig & Lee playin' da blues.
Lotsa guitar.
Grindin' vocals.
Exchange of energy…
That's it. Nothin' else.
I finally got that "Three Piece & A Biscuit" CD in my hands and I had been waiting for it a long time.
What a trio!
Straightforward "Westside" blues, pure and simple.
Maureen Hayes
a.k.a. da Blues Traveler
KCSM FM's "Crazy 'bout the Blues"
January 11, 2001
"Congratulations! Very impressive CD -- holds on to the blues roots and keeps that gritty tone. Everyone loves it!"
Kathleen Lawton
Host
One More Mile Press Reviews
One More Mile Fan Reviews
Sonoma Tunes.Com Reviews & Tweed's Blues:
September 19, 2003
Tradewinds
Twice before I've felt a guitar player place an ice pick between my frontal lobes. One night in the 70s in the old Coffee Gallery on Grant Ave Luther Tucker walked in with some friends and reduced me to quivering protoplasm. At the 1999 Sonoma County Blues Festival Ronnie Earl slipped a probe in and turned on the high voltage current and I went all shivery.
I went to the Tradewinds on the recommendations of friends, anticipating a fun time with the blues. I knew that there would be a small house due to a big show happening at another major venue and I was looking forward to a pleasant time. I figured that I'd have a nice time and go home early so I could help with the next day's Sonoma Tunes Bash.
All this changed after I arrived at the 'Winds back lot. Talking to Mo and a few other stone blues fans, they were quietly excited. One More Mile struck their first note and I went in. Within minutes I discovered that the OMM promo description is inadequate to describe the band. "'Westside sound' with a touch of swing and surf" doesn't begin to cover the intensity and power of this band or the intensity, originality and control of Craig Kloor, OMM's guitarist.
Craig got a wire into my brain but with touch--24 volt control wiring with a rheostat control slowly twisted up and down for dynamics. The man is a monster guitar player. Sure, you can see influences, but he has a sound and 'voice' of his own. He's born to play the Stratocaster--straight, no chaser. He cranks the intensity up and down with a phenomenal dynamic control.
I went out and danced the whole first set. It was mostly shuffles and I was transported to "Shuffle or Die" land. As I danced I would sometimes forget I was dancing and watch Craig play. He'd just crank my brain. The audience was fully aware of what they were hearing and everyone was out dancing at one point or another. We hung on every note. Jersey Jim and Lee Thompson were crisp and utterly supportive of Craig. Finding the knotty pine walls of the Tradewinds rhythm section friendly, they went to the place of watching each other without having to think about external sound factors.
Magic Sam, Sonny Boy with Robert Lockwood, and Freddie King are in there, so is a whole lotta California soul. There's swing and sunshine in there somehow with the hard as nails licks. Craig Kloor is so cool and self-contained that it takes you minutes to realize what he's doing to you. Jersey Jim is an adequate vocalist who fleshes out the songs and then turns them back over to the guitar leads. When Jim adopts the cool approach and his lower register, the vocals really fit the black leather cool of the band. Lee Thompson really carries the full drummer's load in this trio. Loved his work on "Mama Talk to Your Daughter."
Finally I had to leave after the second set. I had to drag myself away reminding myself of duty. I talked with several people who came for the last set after the Mofo/Castro show. They all raved about the band too. I'm watching for One More Mile's next gig in this area.
Rolf Olmsted