Meet Roots Rock Sensation the Wood Brothers

If you haven't heard of them, you soon will. The Wood Brothers should be on everyone's iPod, MP3 Player and "must see" list. Who are The Wood Brothers? None other than musician siblings Chris and Oliver Wood from Boulder, Colorado. But, Donny and Marie they ain't. Far from it, especially when you think about the unlikely journey that led to the formation of this funky rhythm and blues duo. Both had flourishing musical careers that were quite distinct. Chris Wood co-founded and played with the critically acclaimed jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood. Oliver Wood played second guitar with Atlanta's rhythm and blues virtuoso Tinsley Ellis before founding his Atlanta blues rock band King Johnson. Neither one had a strong incentive to join with the other, but it was very much a shared love of music and performing together that tipped the scales in the end.

The Wood Brothers' first studio album Ways Not to Lose was produced by John Medeski and released in 2006 on Blue Note Records. This debut album met with critical acclaim, listing on both Amazon and NPR. In recent years, The Wood Brothers have signed on to Zak Brown's roots record label Southern Ground Artists, Inc. This collaboration makes good sense as The Wood Brothers expand their tour dates and musical repertoire.

The Wood Brothers on Tour

I had a chance to catch The Wood Brothers when they performed at The Barns at Wolf Trap in Northern Virginia. Zak Brown soloist Clay Cook punched out a decent opener before the quirky duo took the stage. Once their set began, it began to sink in what Clay Cook meant when he polled the audience for The Wood Brothers' fans and commented that they "probably drank the Kool-Aid." These guys were hot and the audience responded in kind.

Billed as a "fierce roots-rock duo," The Woods Brothers more than "brought it" at the Barns with the help of Jano Rix on drums/percussion. Oliver's Bob-Dylan-Petty-kissed vocals were awesome and his strong guitar licks provided a memorable rhythm and blues vibe. Chris' acoustic upright bass notes, combined with Rix' always-steady beat, gave the band a jazzy roots feel, resulting in a riot of sights and sounds you don't usually hear at the Barns. Each song was better than the last (though I could do without Shoofly Pie which is a rather silly crowd favorite.)

In the final analysis, it was probably the personality of this duo that shined brightest. Irreverent one minute, deadpan the next, The Wood Brothers remind us that stagecraft born of strong musical tradition and a fundamental connection to the music - and each other- can make a routine performance that much more special.

Smoke Ring Halo

Check out their latest album (Smoke Ring Halo) whose title track is a barfly's anthem, with lyrics to match:

And we all got things that we can't help
But you always had to take a bullet for a stranger
I heard today you took one for yourself, and that's okay
Cuz you got a smoke ring halo

Smoke Ring Halo's tracks demonstrate The Wood Brother's range, from folk roots to southern boogie to jazz and beyond. I like "Blue and Green" for its simple lyrics and musical composition. But, you'll find high energy acoustic and complicated riffs on this engaging album as well.

The Future's Bright for The Wood Brothers

It's no secret why Zac Brown has signed The Wood Brothers to his roots-rock label. This is a band I could follow for a long time and it will be interesting to see what kind of mark they make as a musical duo.

Sure, there were many true believers at the Barns at Wolf Trap concert who had travelled some distance to hear their favorite family band, but there were also a fair number of new-to-The-Wood-Brothers scene in the audience (including myself) who, upon hearing this talented duo, couldn't believe their dumb luck.

Discography

Live At Tonic EP (2005)
Ways Not To Lose (2006)
Loaded (2008)
Up Above My Head (2009)
Smoke Ring Halo (2011)

Resources

Official Website for The Wood Brothers
www.thewoodbrothers.com

The Wood Brothers on MySpace
www.myspace.com/thewoodbrothers

The Wood Brothers on Facebook
www.facebook.com/thewoodbrothers

The Wood Brothers on Yahoo!
http://new.music.yahoo.com/wood-brothers