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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Other views: Group goes too far with CEO pay cuts ... Pint-sized equines ... Letters to the editor: Oct. 27, 2015 ... Other views: Group goes too far with CEO pay cuts ... Pint-sized equines ... Letters to the editor: Oct. 27, 2015 ... MUSIC The Fabulous Savoys showcases its new CD at Howiee's After decades of regional shows, the band releases its first CD Comment By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 26, 2015 at 9:00 AM By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 26, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Social News Sax player and vocalist Detlef Eismann and his band The Fabulous Savoys draw on the ethereal soul music of the South for their new album, "Crosscut Saw." "It's 16 great tunes, mostly rock and R&B," Eismann says. "It's played in the classic tradition of the '50s and '60s. We play the music the way it was intended to sound. Others take the music created back in those days and modernize it. They turn it into something else in the process. We've stayed true to form, playing the songs with the same feeling and intent as the old guys did." Look for familiar songwriters — Robert Parker, Buddy Guy, "Big Joe" Turner, King Curtis, Willie Dixon, Big Bill Broonzy. "Stuff that's been performed by Turner, Little Junior Parker, Albert King, some of the really great blues singers," Eismann says. The Fabulous Savoys — Eismann, bass player and vocalist John Nelson Hauschild, drummer Keith Harrison, guitar player Scott Rogers and Dal Carver on keys — will celebrate the album's release at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Howiee's on Front, 16 N. Front St., Medford. The show will be part of the Downtown Blues Association's twice monthly session. The Savoys certainly know all of the notes and licks for the collection of songs on "Crosscut." "We've played music from the South for a long time," Eismann says. "We started out as a New Orleans rock 'n' roll band — which is a lot like being a blues band that you can dance to. We've played stuff from Lee Dorsey, Ernie K-Doe, Chris Kenner, Wilson Pickett. We grew up with this music, music from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Chess in Chicago. We pick up tunes from the musicians that came from the South, regardless of where they were recorded. They have the original feel of the blues. The musicians swung that way, and it was in them. This album's focus is on that style and feeling." Standouts on "Crosscut Saw" include the title cut, Eismann says. "It came off real well, so we named the album after it. I think I do a real good job singing Willie Dixon's 'Heart Attack,' and I love 'Let Me Down Easy.' I first heard it performed by Freddy King. 'What Kind of Love is This?' 'She's Looking Good,' 'Walkin' the Dog' and 'Barefootin' rock on the album. "All of these songs are great," he says. "It was just the way we hit it. Everyone was playing with the right energy, the right amount of control, and the right amount of soul. It's a clean musical statement." Eismann is the self-proclaimed "best blues singer for miles around." How does he back that statement up? "Because I am," he counters. Eismann joined The Fabulous Savoys in 1958, after the band had been in existence for a year in the Rogue Valley. The original band leader, Lynn Offord, just retired from the band last year. Ashland musician Dal Carver stepped into Offord's shoes on keys. "I didn't know I could get anyone to cover what Lynn did," Eismann says. "He was a New Orleans rock 'n' roll piano player. He was steady and played simple with a lot of feeling. Most can play simple but they can't play on time. He was a knack player, and he was a strong boogie woogie player. "Dal has more of a jazz influence but he's capable of picking all of this stuff up. He's listened to the right type of jazz. the type that is akin to R&B and blues. It's an easy step for him." Drummer Harrison came on board more than 15 years ago, and when Hauschild joined the band about 20 years ago, Kent Clinkenbeard was the drummer. When Clinkenbeard moved on, Hauschild insisted on Harrison. "Once I heard them play together, I knew it was a done deal," Eismann says. "It was a cooking combination. Scott started playing in '72, dropped out for a while, then rejoined in '79." "Crosscut Saw" is the first collection of recordings to see the light of day on a full-length album by The Fabulous Savoys. "We have recording sessions that were never turned into albums," Eismann says. "We still have master tapes and could probably go back and create more albums." Over the years, the band also toured minimally. Working for Harry Arnold, a Northern California booking agent, The Savoys would open for road acts such as Grateful Dead, Steve Miller, The Beau Brummels, The Turtles — all regional shows. "Back then, I was in a union, a local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians," Eismann says. "We were guaranteed work. We even had a retirement plan. We bought houses and our wives stayed at home and raised kids. There was music everywhere, at hotel lounges and lots of little roadhouses strung along Highway 99. Everybody had a band. Work wasn't a problem if you were good. People went out and danced back then." By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 26, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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