Biography
In the mid-'90s, guitarist and producer Danny Kortchmar—whose credits include Billy Joel, Spin Doctors, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds—chose to assemble his own blues band. Slo-Leak took shape with Kortchmar on guitar, bassist Harvey Brooks, who had previously played with Paul Butterfield, and vocalist/guitarist Charlie Karp.
The trio's debut album, Slo Leak, appeared on Pure Records out of Georgetown, CT, and recruited drummers Leroy Clouden and James Wormworth for the sessions. Additional musicians, most based in the New York City area, featured Steve Russell and Rob Paparozzi on harmonica, Fred McFarlane on piano, and Chris Eminizer on tenor and baritone saxophones. Brooks, whose long association with Butterfield was already established, had also built a reputation through his work with Bob Dylan and the Doors, while Karp had recorded and toured with Buddy Miles, Aerosmith, Buster Poindexter, and Meatloaf.
Slo-Leak's members display their grasp of the form through covers of lesser-known tracks such as Willie Dixon's "I Cry for You," Lightnin' Hopkins' "Katie Mae," Bo Diddley's "You Don't Love Me," and Jimmy Liggins' "Drunk," all rendered in a 1990s blues-rock manner. The band's founders—Karp, Kortchmar, and Brooks—supplement the set with several original songs. Without a commitment to touring, however, wider recognition seemed unlikely beyond New York City and Westport, Connecticut, where Kortchmar and much of the group reside. They returned in 1999 with When the Clock Strikes 12.
The trio's debut album, Slo Leak, appeared on Pure Records out of Georgetown, CT, and recruited drummers Leroy Clouden and James Wormworth for the sessions. Additional musicians, most based in the New York City area, featured Steve Russell and Rob Paparozzi on harmonica, Fred McFarlane on piano, and Chris Eminizer on tenor and baritone saxophones. Brooks, whose long association with Butterfield was already established, had also built a reputation through his work with Bob Dylan and the Doors, while Karp had recorded and toured with Buddy Miles, Aerosmith, Buster Poindexter, and Meatloaf.
Slo-Leak's members display their grasp of the form through covers of lesser-known tracks such as Willie Dixon's "I Cry for You," Lightnin' Hopkins' "Katie Mae," Bo Diddley's "You Don't Love Me," and Jimmy Liggins' "Drunk," all rendered in a 1990s blues-rock manner. The band's founders—Karp, Kortchmar, and Brooks—supplement the set with several original songs. Without a commitment to touring, however, wider recognition seemed unlikely beyond New York City and Westport, Connecticut, where Kortchmar and much of the group reside. They returned in 1999 with When the Clock Strikes 12.
Albums