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Sterling Koch: Slide Ruler

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Full Force Music
Released: 2011.02.08
Time:
 48:30
Category: Slide Blues, Blues Rock
Producer(s): Sterling Koch, Mary Koch, Bret Alexander
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.sterlingkoch.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2014
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Slide Ruler (S.Koch) - 1:22
[2] If You Wanna Rock & Roll (D.DiMucci) - 3:21
[3] Dimples (J.Bracken/J.L.Hooker) - 4:21
[4] Driving Wheel (R.Sykes) - 4:11
[5] Sleepwalk (A.Farina/J.Farina/S.Farina) - 3:02
[6] Stop Messin' Around (C.G.Adams/P.Green) - 4:08
[7] Done Somebody Wrong (E.James/M.Levy/C.L.Lewis) - 4:22
[8] I'm A Bluesman (D.Hydock/S.Koch) - 4:09
[9] Double Trouble (O.Rush) - 5:58
[10] Taylor's Rock (H.D.Taylor) - 3:11
[11] One Way Out (S.B.Williamson II/E.James/M.Sehorn) - 3:32
[12] The Sun Will Shine (S.Koch/M.Naydock) - 6:52

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Sterling Koch - Rhythm Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Vocals, Producer
Tommy Shannon - Bass
Chet McCracken - Drums

Bret Alexander - Rhythm Guitar, Mastering, Mixing, Producer
Larry Adam - Keyboards
Rob Allison - Rhythm Guitar
Jim Juranis - Rhythm Guitar
Jack Kulp - Harmonica

Mary Koch - Producer
George Graham - Mastering
Danny Juranis - Pre-Production
Don Carrick - Insert Photography
Jacqueline Dormer - Cover Art, Photography

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


It is not often that we get the chance of listening to authentic style Lap Steel Guitar, but when the opportunity arises, and it is done right, it can sure be a treat to the ears. Such is the case with Sterling Koch's latest release, and more than appropriately called, "Slide Ruler".
 
" Sterling Koch, a nationally recognized lap steel guitarist, specializes in playing Chicago-style, slide guitar blues in a contemporary style on the lap steel guitar." Sterling Koch is a well known solo artist and session musician, whom has not only performed at many nationally known venues, but has also been the opening act for Savoy Brown, Rick Derringer, and Blackfoot to name just a few. "Slide Ruler" is Sterling's 4th solo album dealing with the music of the Steel Guitar, with his others being "Steel Guitar Blues", "Steelin' Home" and "How I Spent My Summer Vacation."
 
"Slide Ruler" consists of 12 interesting and dynamic Tracks of which Sterling Koch was responsible for writing 1 (Track 1 "Slide Ruler"), and co-writing 2 along with Debra Hydock (Track 8 "I'm A Bluesman") and Mike Naydock (Track 12 "The Sun Will Shine"). For the covers on "Slide Ruler", Sterling chose a really great lineup of tunes, which to name a few, included Track 3 "Dimples" (John Lee Hooker/James Braken), Track 5 "Sleepwalk", "Sleep Walk is an instrumental steel guitar-based song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by brothers Santo & Johnny Farina", Track 6 "Stop Messin' Around" (Peter Green/C.G. Adams), and Track 10 "Taylor's Rock" (HoundDog Taylor).
 
In addition to a great lineup of songs, Sterling Koch also chose a great lineup of artists for "Slide Ruler", which featured Tommy Shannon on Bass and Chet McCraken on Drums. Tommy Shannon is a Legendary Bassist whom has performed with Stevie Ray Vaughan, as a member of Double Trouble and whom also formed, along with fellow Double Trouble member Chris Layton, the groups Arc Angels and Storyville. Tommy Shannon also played with Johnny Winter at Woodstock in '69. Chet McCracken is a Grammy nominated Drummer whom joined the Doobie Brothers in 1979. Chet McCracken also recorded and/or toured with America, Kim Carnes, Nancy Sinatra, Rare Earth, Stevie Nicks, Hank Williams Jr., and Joe Walsh, to name just a few. Sterling Koch plays Lap Steel Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, and does all the Vocals on "Steel Guitar".
 
Special Guests on "Slide Ruler" included Larry Adams (Keyboards), Bret Alexander (Rhythm Guitar Track 11), Rob Allison (Rhythm Guitar Track 10), Jim Juranis (Rhythm Guitar Tracks 2,3,8), and Jack Kulp (Harmonica). "Slide Ruler" was Produced by Bret Alexander, Mary Koch, and Sterling Koch.
 
"Slide Ruler" starts off with the title Track which is one of the Tracks written by Sterling Koch and is also one of 3 instrumentals on "Slide Ruler", with the other 2 being "Sleepwalk" and "Taylor's Rock". The opening title Track is only 122 seconds long, but it still sets up the beginning of "Slide Ruler" perfectly, almost like when the Drums are rolling at the beginning of a show before all the band comes on stage.
 
The nice thing about "Slide Ruler", was that it really had a lot of nice Blues Styles on it, which ranged from slow and soulful blues “Double Trouble”, to Peter Green's shuffle infused “Stop Messin Round”, to the full tilt rocker "Taylor's Rock".
 
With "Slide Ruler", Sterling Koch used his forte, being the Lap Steel Guitar, like a fine chef, whom seasons his meal just the right amount, allowing it's freshness to come through, without over powering it.
 
As for favorites on "Slide Ruler", their were quite a few, but the ones that were slightly more enjoyable for me were, Track 2, Dion Demucci's "If You Want To Rock & Roll", Track 3, John Lee Hooker's Harmonica Infused "Dimples", and Track 5, "Sleepwalk", which I was not only quite surprised to hear on this album, but pleasantly surprised, as well. "Sleepwalk" was a perfect Instrumental for Sterling Koch to show his Lap Steel Guitar mastery.
 
All in all, "Slide Ruler" was the huge treat that I thought it would be, and more. Great Vocals and Guitar work by Sterling, along with not only well written tunes on his part, but well interpreted covers for the rest of the Tracks. His Featured and Guest Musicians, brought all they had, to the show, and it all came together magically on this album.
 
"Slide Ruler" was my first introduction to Sterling Koch and I really can't wait to hear more new stuff from him in the, hopefully, near future.
 
Highly Recommended and Thoroughly Enjoyed...
 
John Vermilyea
Blues Underground Network



Even if the playing on Sterling Koch’s Slide Ruler wasn’t so good, the artist’s oddball selection of some powerful cover tunes is a welcome surprise.  For example, the last time we heard steel guitar duo Santo and Johnny Farina’s mesmerizing instrumental lap slide/Gibson 6-string “Sleepwalk,” was probably around 1959. Good news: On track 5, Koch, on MSA Superslide lap steel guitar, with help from former Doobie Brothers drummer Chet McCracken, renders an even more hypnotic version than the original.

If that weren’t enough, the track before “Sleepwalk” is “Driving Wheel,” a 1950s Junior Parker recording of a Roosevelt Sykes composition that jettisoned Parker’s brief career beyond even “Mystery Train.” Only a select few should cover a quirky R&B icon like Junior, but Koch’s arrangement, fuzzy lap slide effects and vocals, plus McCracken’s dynamic rhythm add a juiced-up “now” feel to an already fine tune.

The band’s cover of Otis Rush’s “Double Trouble” begins more on the beat than the other covers, but by the time Koch takes the song home, it’s all his. John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples” feels hotter here than on the original.

But it’s a real coin flip over Koch’s cover of the Elmore James/Sonny Boy Williamson II “One Way Out.”  This song – also recorded as “It’s a Man Down There” – is so strongly identified with the Allman Brothers that it’s like covering “Hey Jude.” While strong and even insistent, who can beat Dickey Betts’s edgy boogie line and Gregg’s panicky vocals on the Allman version?

Three songs on this CD are Koch compositions, including the fine title track/disk opener. The tune is an insistent lap-slide meditation on the blues, opening like a brooding Ry Cooder circa “Paris, Texas,” then steadily morphs into a frenzied not-quite-but-almost-shredding reminiscent of sacred steel gospel bands like the Campbell Brothers or Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

Koch really is a very appealing lap-slide player.  By the time the band is ready for last call on track 12, Koch’s slow blues, “The Sun Will Shine,” becomes a fitting coda to an excellent evening’s worth of masterful blues playing of some really fine tunes. Kudos to Koch’s wife, Mary, for helping with song selection and sequencing, as reported in a Pennsylvania daily newspaper. 

Michael Cala - December 19, 2012
NoDepression.com



The second album that I listened to last weekend and through this week was the latest album by Sterling Koch (pronounced “Cook”) Slide Ruler. Koch us a nationally acclaimed lap steel guitarist from Cressona, Pennsylvania. I’ve seen this album on the Roots Music Blues Chart and others and was unsuccessful in finding the album on Rhapsody. I did listen to one of early albums Steel Guitar Blues though and enjoyed that so when I saw Slide Ruler on Napster I quickly put it on the iPod!

Koch lap steel playing on the album is terrific and his rhythm section at bad either! On bass there’s legendary blues bassist Tommy Shannon (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter) and on drums, Grammy nominated drummer Chet McCracken (Doobie Brothers). Tracks on the album cover songs from many blues legends including: Elmore James, John Lee Hooker and Otis Rush. A stand-out track is Koch’s cover of Roosevelt Sykes’ “Driving Wheel.“ And while my wife (who hates blues) didn’t like it I liked the cover of Santo & Johnny’s steel guitar standard “Sleepwalk.”

EKKARN - MARCH 24, 2011
roots.memyselfmusicandmysteries.com
 

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