The Swamp Nots: New CD Release

When I asked Gary if they planned on touring their new release anytime soon, he responded, "No, we don't want to tour. We just do this for fun." Well, if recording world-class, old-time music right here in the Southeast is their idea of fun, the Swamp Nots are having tons of it. The first time I saw them, they were a fun loving, string band playing at a party by bonfire light in a frosty cabbage patch off W. Friendly Avenue in the early spring of 1977. They were doing tunes by The Georgia Skillet Lickers, and utilizing one of the best local washtub bass players I'd ever seen. Renting an old small farm house on Stage Coach Drive, they had recently moved from New York to Greensboro, North Carolina to attend Guilford College closer to the historic homeland of hillbilly music. Originally, The Swamp Nots started out as The Swamp Cats. The core of the group were two brothers, Charles "Chuck" Silverstein and Gary "The Mayor" Silverstein and their best friend Paul "Dr. Bush" Fribush. Chuck played fiddle, Gary Mandolin and Paul manned the Dobro. Their first (self-titled) release was on Vinyl and was a fun collection of old-time string band favorites. I got to know Gary, also known as "Smooth" to his friends, when he gave me a lift in his old black 1965 Dodge pick-up truck to the Fiddler's Convention in Union Grove. The Swamp Cats were competing in the old-time, string band category. This was back in the day just before Union Grove was temporarily shut down for being considered over-run by the wrong element. When we arrived at night had it not been for the low ceiling overcast and smoke-filled air, the stars in the sky would have been rivaled by the glow of innumerable campfires covering the hills. The crowd resembled scenes inter-spliced from Woodstock and Deliverance. There was jamming around every camp fire and near the stage I had to wade though shin-deep empty beer cans.

Through the years, many new influences have come into play, but they never abandoned their old-time roots. In the early 1980's, they added Cork Licker member Roger "Benny" Moore on upright bass, and "Dr. Bush," known now as simply "Doc," introduced Hawaiian steel numbers to their repertoire. This prompted the band, when asked what genre they played, to answer partly in jest, "Fusion Music: East-Tennessee, South-Pacific, Blues-Fusion, Music. Soon, they discovered the early Jazz recordings of Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, and Jabo Smith prompting Gary to acquire a cornet, and Paul a saxophone. Within months they had incorporated early Dixieland Jazz and Hokum Blues, horn riffs into their act on such novelty and double entendre tunes as, Who Broke the Lock on the Hen House Door and I Can't Dance (I Got Ants in my Pants.) It has always been a challenge to sum up the genre of music that they play, because their influences are so diverse and derived from their well-researched collection of early American recordings. The tunes they play are the tunes they listen to themselves. Though the years, the Swamp Cats continued to incorporate this diverse discography to the extent that today I would have to describe their "fusion" sound as: Gary Silverstein's Virtuoso, Old-time String Band, New Orleans Jazz, Bar Mitzvah Bluegrass, East-Tennessee, South-Pacific, Blues-Balladeers.

Even though in 2008, a group of veteran rockers from Manchester, Iowa had formed an Americana cover band using the same name, "The Swamp Nots" is not a result of the North Carolinian Swamp Cats re-branding themselves. Gary, the CD's producer, over the years, has had several side projects, but always utilizing the word "Swamp" somewhere in the name. So, when folks asked if this CD was a Swamp Cats affair, Gary joked that it was a Swamp "Not" project. The idea for this CD came when he pondered how to best commemorate an approaching milestone birthday. He decided that he wanted to capture for posterity sake the music he and his friends have enjoyed making over the years. And thus, the recording sessions began, which resulted in the second debut of a self-titled album, who's core members are, more or less, the same cast of characters Smooth has played with over the years. I eagerly obtained one of a limited number of copies directly from Gary to review and enjoy. However, for those still without a copy, it can be easily found on CD Baby.

On this collection, Gary plays mandolin and cornet. Chuck is on arch-top Guitar, and Doc plays Hawaiian Steel, Harmonica, Clarinet and Tzimble. They are joined by Kurt Sutphin on Fiddle, Tom Mylet on six-string Banjo, Landon Walker on Bass and and Benny on retains his position on Bass and Vocals. The humorous album cover is the original art work of Gary's wife, artist Betsy Silverstein. It shows the band jamming on the side of the road next to their broke-down touring van which is hooked up to a tow truck - an image based on a true story. The liner notes are both informative and personalized, telling why each number was selected. Every tune on this CD is a gem in its own right; however, most notable are three: their reworked old time string band version of a Martin, Bogan and Armstrong song called, Yes Pappy Yes, a lighthearted "Swamp Not original" song called Paper or Plastic, and Smooth and Doc's, less-is-more, unique orchestration of Hangman's Reel using only mandolin and harmonica in place of the more traditional Fiddle and Banjo.

Upon first play in my car I could not escape the feeling that the band existed merely to showcase Gary's amazing mandolin virtuosity which displays an uncanny musical depth and wisdom. He confidently exhibits both technical fidelity and soulful feeling in his craft. However, after moving the CD to my home stereo, it became apparent that all the members of the group contribute so seamlessly and flawlessly that their incredible musicianship shines through loud and clear and continues to hold your interest throughout the CD. This accomplishment is, no doubt enabled in part, due to the clarity of the recording sessions and the performances' lack of any of the discordant harmonics and overtones so often present in efforts from less-seasoned musicians.

In addition to the showcasing of Gary's amazing mandolin talent, you will find Doc's straight-harp diatonic harmonica playing a real treat in that it is a major departure from the worn-out, blues scale, cross harp commonly heard these days at your local night club. Gary was fortunate to have Doc as his second in command on this project, for Doc has always been the most versatile of the group. Among the extensive list of instruments he masters are: Dobro, Hawaiian Steel, Lap Steel, and Pedal Steel Guitars, Clarinet, Saxophone, Harmonica, and Tzimble. In their early years Gary's brother, Chuck, played fiddle with the group and he had now rejoins them on arched-top guitar, effortlessly adding rhythmic chords in all the right places. Benny their longtime upright-bass man, remains the voice of the group, with his instantly appealing "whiskey and smoke" voice sounding reminiscent of Satchmo, Tom Waits and Slim Pickins. Benny's likeable, familiar personality seems to emanate from out of yesteryear. On the nostalgic duet Left all Alone Again Blues he is paired with chanteuse Julie Bean's warm, smooth, and full-bodied vocals.

With all their focus on America's early recording heritage, you would think these guys might take themselves much too seriously; however, quite the opposite is true. Though their love of the art-form is serious, they have always exhibited a whimsical and humorous exuberance in their renditions. No heady philosophies, deep-dark themes, or irreverent mocking of earlier musical styles, The Swamp Nots have always been about bringing to life, the lyric and soulful expression of our early recording age in an entertaining and upbeat manner. This is exactly what they have so skillfully and consistently done over the years. You just can't listen to a Swam Nots tune, with its tasteful inter-play of technically and emotionally expressive melodies, and not find a smile creeping across your face as you are teleported back into an archetypal world of early jazz-influenced, old-time string band music.