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