T-Bird And The Breaks: Texas Soul Students
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Session Spotlight: T-Bird And The Breaks Perform 'Take Time'
T-Bird And The Breaks: Texas Soul Students
More From The Session
'Esmeralda'
'Blackberry Brandy'
'Stand Up'
Personnel
- Tim Crane, vocals
- Matt Price, trombone
- Houston Rawls, tenor sax
- Stephen Beasley, baritone sax
- Sam Patlove, guitar
- John Allison, guitar
- Cody Furr, bass
- Damien Llanes, drums
- Stephanie Hunt, vocals
- Jazz Mills, vocals
Tim Crane (left), a.k.a. T-Bird, settled in Austin after a summer spent touring the U.S. by train. A year later, he had founded his new band. courtesy of the artist hide caption
Tim Crane landed here in Austin only after doing a bit of research. The frontman of one of the city's newest and baddest R&B outfits, T-Bird and the Breaks, was living and gigging in Massachusetts, longing for a fresh scene. In 2006, Crane bought an Amtrak ticket for a trip around the U.S. (as Crane puts it, "a Eurail pass, but in the States") and found a home in central Texas.
Austin may seem like an unlikely fit for a throwback rhythm-and-blues band — the city is more widely known for its country roots (Willie Nelson, et al) and more recently for its indie rock (Spoon, Okkervil River, Shearwater). But in less than two years, T-Bird and company have become arguably the finest example of Austin's burgeoning soul and funk scene.
This was T-Bird and the Breaks' first trip to KUT's studios. The four-song set starts with the sizzling grooves of "Take Time" — an ideal initiation. Each instrument introduces itself to the listener one at a time (drums, organ, horns, bass), culminating in a high-octane call-and-response vocal exchange between Crane and two female backup singers. The band transitions seamlessly into the second song, another uptempo composition called "Esmerelda," which highlights Crane's playful lyrics ("Gonna spread the news like stink from a skunk").
Crane is a student of 1950s and '60s old-school blues and soul: Booker T. and the MG's, Otis Redding, James Brown. He says his father used to put him to bed singing Mississippi John Hurt and Howlin' Wolf.
The title of T-Bird and the Breaks' debut album is telling: It's called Learn About It. This is the approach Crane took in putting together his band's sound: Learn about it from the masters and give it a personal touch. Crane's done the research, and now we get to enjoy the results.
Originally recorded Dec. 10, 2008.
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