HAPPY BONES. It is, I believe, important for an artist to take their time. There’s nothing more painful than art that seems incomplete, ill-considered or dashed off. It’s particularly true in music. Far too often I see acts perform before they are prepared or, even worse, enter the studio.
That, quite clearly, is not the case for the Augusta act Happy Bones.
The performance project of one Judge Shawn “Woody” Wood, the Bones, in its many varied forms, has been gracing Augusta stages since the mid-1990s. It’s an act that local musicians have always thought highly of, that fans have followed from one bar gig to the next but has flown, somewhat criminally, below the radar.
My thought has always been that Woody felt a certain sense of satisfaction, writing and performing in the very finite universe of his own creation. It was, to be sure, a comfortable place and one I certainly enjoyed visiting from time to time. But it seems my assumptions were wrong.
Woody had plans. Plans and aspirations. He has something significant he wants to share and it extends far beyond the broken-couch blues often associated with him. He is, in fact, an artist of impressive musical means and now, with the very first Happy Bones album – a record some 25 years in the making – he’s ready to prove his point.
One of the more interesting aspects of Happy Bones is how difficult it becomes to pinpoint and describe its very distinctive sound. While always cohesive, the eponymous album draws from a variety of musical sources.
There is acoustic folk and hard riffing, deep funk and Southern boogie. There are nods to hip hop, hippie rock – nearly any classic pop form capable of telling a substantial story. It’s an amalgamation of musical styles and, more particularly, those musical cues that have proved most popular and influential in Augusta music. It’s the Edison Dregs. It’s Riff Raff Torpedo.
That’s not so surprising as the current incarnation of the Happy Bones band includes some significant Augusta talent, including the semi-legendary Jo Bones, one of this writer’s favorite bass players. The music is also punctuated with guest appearances that I feel should be kept Star Wars-style surprises.
The future of this independently recorded and released record is still very much in the air. Such is the case for the working musician.
Woody will, I feel certain, spend considerable time and effort promoting and playing, doing his level best to ensure this collection of songs is heard. I wish him the best of luck as it’s a record that deserves an audience.

Http://www.happybonesband.net

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