23rd of August 2008 should have been the highlight for the Dutch blues band Down and Dirty. On this day their brand new CD ‘Someday’ with only own compositions should have been introduced to the press and audience. The regrettable passing of their drummer Arnold van der Heijden (on August 5th) puts of course an extinguish on the party. Not only because Arnold was very much involved for the end result of this album, but also and especially of the human aspect, the lost of somebody that was their (and us) beloved. The CD contains eleven songs, meaning a total playtime of about fifty minutes. When I listen to the songs, it’s clear that the band is not putting themselves on one special direction. Next to “Rocking and Hitting Blues” with a.o.’( She makes me feel) So Good’ and ‘On The Way Out’, also room for blues ballads as the title track ‘Someday’. Singer Frank van der Hoogen (assisted by a perfect rhythm section), is maintaining himself very well. The song has body, goes deep and in this way it hits the listener. More rock-‘n-roll action we find in ’What’s Going On’ while ‘My Pigeon’ heads more to the swing direction. So there’s enough variation. Above that it’s all own material, something that blues people can appreciate. We talk about musicians who know to add each other perfectly and that results into a total sound that stands at least. If the lost of Arnold will narrow the band in the future we don’t know, but I know that he would have liked it this way that Down and Dirty will continue. The show must go on.

Translation by: Bill Wessels