Little Feat – Strike Up The Band (Neon Orange 2-LP Vinyl)

Coincidence or not, when opened, the gatefold jacket of Little Feat's Strike Up the Band CD reveals a band photo divided in such a manner that leaves the veteran group's lone founding member, keyboardist and singer Bill Payne, on one side of the spine, and the remaining five of the sextet on the opposite. It's a fitting layout, as those five represent, at least symbolically if not musically, the most prominent eras of the band throughout its illustrious history, marking the stages of innovation and change since Payne and the late maestro, Lowell George, first teamed up back in 1969.

There are percussionist Sam Clayton and bassist Kenny Gradney, who joined for Dixie Chicken in '73 and propelled Feat into its finest period. There's Fred Tackett, who collaborated with the group going back to the Dixie Chicken days, but signed-on officially in the mid-'80s, starting with the hit reunion record, Let It Roll. Finally, bookending the bunch are guitarist and singer Scott Sharrard and drummer Tony Leone, folded into the Feat about a half-dozen years ago following the death of guitarist Paul Barrere and the departure of drummer Gabe Ford.

It's fitting, too, that the album is, in spirit and in performance, a reverent collection of all the styles, genres, and themes- from L.A.-spawned, Zappa alum to Crescent City-soaked groovers to fusion pirates to modern rockers- that the band has embraced over five decades and counting. Yet, thankfully and smartly, this is not Feat-stiche. This is the genuine article, circa 2025.

Payne, Sharrard, and Tackett handle the bulk of the songwriting, offering a first-half of certifiable swamp-bop, and a second frame of more subdued fare that begins with the contemplative title track, and includes a return of Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter on Payne's roiling and rolling "Bluegrass Pines." There is, as well, Leone's own "Running Out of Time with the Blues," that draws, respectfully, from the same rhythmic cup as Barrere's classic, "Old Folks Boogie." Sharrard's contributions to the canon, too, are particularly fertile and fresh, with "Midnight Flight" an immediate standout, and "Disappearing Ink," a deeper cut that recalls George's best crafted love songs.

The set welcomes a bevy of guests, including horns from Art Edmaiston and Marc Franklin, vocals from Kristen Rogers, and cameos featuring Larkin Poe, Molly Tuttle, Larry Campbell, and Teresa Williams. The production from Vance Powell (Phish) is tight where it is right, accentuating the kernels of Clayton's percussion as nimbly as it showcases Sharrard and Tackett's tantalizing, muscular guitars. It all seems to collide in the most compelling way on "Shipwrecks," a Sharrard original that feels like it could've been written in 1975, or '95, '05, or '25, and rides out on an unexpectedly delightful synth break from Payne, echoing a time when Little Feat was once spoken of in the same conversation as fusion pioneers, Weather Report. Strike up the Feat!

— Larson Sutton, jambands.com

Strike Up The Band is Little Feat's triumph return to rock n roll with plenty of swampy southern soul with Bill Payne (keys/vocals0, Scott Sharrard (guitar/vocals), Tony Leone (drums/vocals), Fred Tackett (guitar), Kenny Gradney (bass), and Sam Clayton (percussion/vocals). It's their first album of new material in over 13 years with songs written by Payne and Tacket as well as Feat's newest members Sharrrard and Leone. The album was produced by the multi Grammy Award winner, Vance Powell (Phish, Chris Stapleton, Jack White) and Bill Payne. The song "Bluegrass Pines" features speacial guest Molly Tuttle and Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, and was written by Payne and the Grateful Dead lyricst Robert Hunter, and the title track features Larkin Poe on guest vocals.

1. 4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work
2. Bayou Mama
3. Shipwrecks
4. Midnight Flight
5. Too High To Cut My Hair
6. When Hearts Fall
7. Strike Up The Band (feat. Larkin Poe)
8. Bluegrass Pines (feat. Molly Tuttle, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams)
9. Disappearing Ink
10. Love and Life (Never Fear)
11. Dance a Little
12. Running Out of Time with the Blues
13. New Orleans Cries When She Sings

UPC: 020286245360
Label: Hot Tomato Productio
Release Date: 5.9.25
Format: LP Vinyl