Something Smells Funky 'Round Here

Legendary guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop​ and his Big Fun Trio - Bob Welsh on piano and guitar and Willy Jordan on cajón (a hand-played Peruvian drumbox) and vocals - are set to release their new Alligator Records album, Something Smells Funky 'Round Here, on Friday, July 13. The album is a follow up to the group's 2017 Grammy-nominated self-titled debut.

Something Smells Funky 'Round Here was produced by Bishop and recording engineer Steve Savage and recorded at Bishop's Hog Heaven Studio in Lagunitas, California. Bishop wrote or co-wrote five songs (including two by the entire trio). The album mixes rousing new originals, reinventions of three Bishop classics and some unexpected, soul-shaking covers. The potent title track - a tongue-in-cheek State Of The Union address as only Elvin can deliver - kicks the album off with Bishop aiming his lyrical truths at those in power. The humorous but piercingly direct lyrics take aim at the current political scene while Bishop's deep blues guitar playing drives the point home. Lookin' Good finds Bishop autobiographically gazing in the rearview mirror with sharp, wry lyrics accompanied by Welsh's perfect blues piano. Jordan sings lead on four songs, including blistering reinventions of Jackie Wilson's Higher And Higher and Ann Peebles' I Can't Stand The Rain. Welsh, whose guitar or piano playing highlight every song, pounds the ivories on his own Bob's Boogie. "This album fell together easily," says Bishop. "Everything I visualized about the songs - from Bob's playing to Willy's singing, came true. Bob and Willy are great musicians."