His Name Is Black Joe Lewis

By John Schoenberger

With so many artists referencing vintage soul and blues these days, it was only natural that a genuine Southerner would come up with an album that taps in the roots better than just about anyone. That artist is Joe Lewis, who was raised in Round Rock, Texas, but now calls Austin home. Lewis and his band known as the Honeybears are channeling the greats like James Brown, Joe Tex and Wilson Pickett -- it goes even further with references to country blues and vintage rock 'n' roll -- while still producing a sound that is fresh and contemporary.

But as strong as Lewis is as a singer and guitarist, the sound would not be complete without his great backing band: Zach Earnst (guitar), Bill Stevenson (bass), Matthew Strmiska (drums), Ian Varley (keys), David Knight (sax) and the extraordinary Grupo Fantasma Horns. Further, Spoon drummer Jim Eno helped the band capture its raw and energetic sound on tape as both producer and mixer.

Amazingly, this all comes quite naturally to Lewis. He picked up a guitar from the pawn shop he was working at, and not long after he was cranking out songs and winning over loyal fans at open-mike nights. As Eno says, "Joe's a really special, really natural performer. We were able to do about 75% of the album live, and that's something you very, very rarely do."

The standout tracks on "Tell 'Em What Your Name Is" include such funky numbers as "Gunpowder," "Sugarfoot" and "I'm Broke," as well as the down-and-dirty blues number "Master Sold My Baby" and retro-rocker "Big Bootie Woman."


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