DENTED TRUCKS

Blue Sun

Turtle Records 

By Linda Cain

It takes a great deal of chutzpah to move to Chicago in December. You’d have to be either brave or crazy, or a little of both. Or just maybe your love for the blues was so all-consuming that you’d leave the temperate, rainy clime of the Pacific Northwest -- braving  treacherous roads, ice, snow, and wind -- to reach the mecca, Sweet Home Chicago.

Whatever it was that possessed this trio of siblings – Diane, Jenine  and Ricky Wessels -- to pull up stakes in Washington State and settle in the Windy City doesn’t matter now. The fact is, the family band called Dented Trucks has been residing here since December 2010 and performing at top blues venues like Buddy Guy’s Legends and Kingston Mines.

Their debut CD, Blue Sun, has a 2009 release date on it, and it was recorded in their home state of Washington.  It is, however, new to the Chicago market. Presumably in the four years since Dented Trucks made this CD and moved here, the band has progressed from its humble beginnings. 

A full blown critical review of this disc may well be outdated, especially since the band is back in the studio working on its sophomore effort.  So we’ll just provide a general overview of what Dented Trucks is all about.

Like other notable young blues family bands -- Mississippi’s Homemade Jamz and Trampled Under Foot from Kansas City come to mind -- Dented Trucks has the kind of musical telepathy that only siblings share.

Their sound is a cross between Stevie Ray Vaughan’s tough Texas shuffles and Chicago’s rough, down in the alley, West Side blues, propelled by Dianne’s skillful and effective lead guitar.  It’s a musical blend that really works.

            Eight of the ten songs on Blue Sun are originals, co-written by all three band members. The opening track, “So Excited,” is an upbeat instrumental by Stevie Ray Vaughan, which the band performs admirably well. Dianne’s biggest influence on guitar (Stevie Ray) is evident throughout her guitar solos this disc. Track 6 is another SRV cover, the lesser known “Boot Hill,” which is given a fine Texas flair by the band.

Lyrically, the trio doesn’t tackle any heavy subjects on its originals; there’s no “Born Under A Bad Sign” here.  Diane’s vocals are laid-back, unaffected and charmingly girlish -- not exactly what you’d expect from a blues woman.  Then again, she is a guitar slinger and a darn good one at that.

What stands out about the trio and their music is their ability to get into a groove and ride it, taking the listener along for the trip. I’ve not seen them live, but I would guess that live performances are their forte.

Musically, Dented Trucks is all about Dianne’s leads and solos; she is versatile and nimble -- and her playing ranges from lyrical and melodic to stinging and fiery with some seriously bluesy string bending. Her siblings stay out of her way and provide a solid support for her guitar musings, ably following her lead. Jenine and Ricky know how to take big sis where she wants to go.

 The best tracks on the ten song disc come at the end. There’s “Sidewalkin’” with its catchy insistent beat and Dianne’s percussive note pluckin’ and nimble solos, and the instrumental “String Cheese” where the rhythm section keeps things upbeat as Diane’s crisp notes and solos fly formidably. “Railroad Man” starts out with a heavy, ominous beat as the power trio chugs away, led by Diane’s ringing guitar tones.

Diane’s guitar playing sounds best on Blue Sun when she is channeling Stevie Ray. Hopefully the move to Chicago has widened her musical horizons as she and her siblings become exposed to our town’s very talented traditional Chicago blues players like Magic Slim, Jimmy Johnson, John Primer, Rockin’ Johnny, Billy Flynn, Lurrie Bell and a host of others.

For info:

http://www.artistecard.com/dentedtrucks

http://www.dentedtrucks.com/index.html