Omar Dykes, of
Omar & the Howlers, pays tribute to blues icon
Howlin' Wolf on Runnin' with the Wolf. All of the tracks on this disc were written by either
Wolf or
Willie Dixon except for the
Omar original "Runnin' with the Wolf."
Dykes stays close to the original versions of these songs, which most listeners have heard in some form or other: "The Red Rooster," "Back Door Man," "Smokestack Lightning," "Wang Dang Doodle," and "Killin' Floor." That doesn't mean these are straight covers. The passion in the performances is undeniable, but so is the fun these musicians are obviously having.
Dykes has the perfect voice for this project and is complemented by
Derek O'Brien on guitar,
Ronnie James on bass,
Ted Roddy on harp, and
Wes Starr on drums along with
Mark Kazanoff and
Les Izmore on saxophones,
Nick Connolly on organ, and
Mike Buck on percussion. ~ Al Campbell