THE HIGH HAWKS - MOTHER NATURE’S SHOW

Vince Herman is best known as one of the two frontmen for Leftover Salmon and many people know Staehly from the jam band supergroup Hard Working Americans, but it’s the group they co-founded — Great American Taxi — that connects all the members of The High Hawks in one way or another. Bassist Brian Adams and drummer Will Trask were both members of Taxi, while vocalist-fiddler-guitarist Tim Carbone, best known as a member of Railroad Earth, produced two of GAT’s albums. In addition, vocalist-guitarist Adam Greuel of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades was influenced by Taxi in his teenage years and even played a few gigs with the group.

With four singer-songwriters — Carbone, Greuel, Herman and Staehly — there was no shortage of material to choose from. The song sequence takes the listener down Highway 61, the oft-called “Blues Highway” immortalized by Bob Dylan, that follows the Mississippi River from Minnesota to New Orleans, passing through St. Louis, Memphis and the Mississippi delta. As fans have come to expect, there’s a variety of musical stylings represented — from Southern, country and psychedelic rock to honky-tonk and even a ballad and a waltz — with The High Hawks’ sonic cohesiveness claiming each style as their own. The band’s performances throughout the record are top-notch, and there’s very little overdubbing. When asked about the authenticity of The High Hawks’ new album, Herman assures with a laugh, “AI had no part in the making of this record.”