Mark Robinson
HAVE AXE - WILL GROOVE - CD release February 2013
Blind Chihuahua Records
MarkRobinsonGuitar.com
mark@markrobinsonguitar.com
TRACK NOTES
1. Drive Real Fast (2:51)
Mark Robinson (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC)
John Lee Hooker meets “Exile On Main Street.” I wrote it in the car on the way to a
gig, and I sang it on stage that night in a low-down dive bar. Near the end of the gig,
a nearly-toothless man told me that he would “give his remaining teeth” to be able
to play like me—the best compliment I’ve gotten in a long time. Somehow I managed
to remember the song and I recorded it just the way I did it at that gig.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. TJ KLAY
harmonica.
2. Baby’s Gone to Memphis (3:47)
Davis Raines & Michael Conner Rogers (Songs of Crossfield/Autauga Songs, BMI,
Village Mills Music)
I’m a big fan of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, and Elvis—and this song. I love hearing
my frequent musical co-conspirator Davis Raines (who wrote it with Michael
Conner Rogers) sing this one, and I wanted to give it a try myself. I put a little more
of the Delta in this version, riding that mystery train all the way to Memphis. This
one’s for The King.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. VICKI
CARRICO & JONELL MOSSER backup vocals.
3. Angel of Mercy (5:47)
Slats Klug (Rebo Music, ASCAP)
Written by my friend (and fellow member of Bloomington, Indiana’s short-lived
band the “Limestone Cowboys”) Slats Klug, whose version I have loved for years.
He’s a terrific singer, so it was a challenge to take it on and bring a bit of Memphis
soul to what started out as an acoustic Cajun-style lament. I don’t sing many ballads,
but this one always sends chills up my spine, and I hope it touches other people the
same way.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. RANDY
HANDLEY piano. MICHAEL WEBB Hammond organ. VICKI CARRICO & JONELL MOSSER
backup vocals.
4. Cool Rockin’ Daddy (2:29)
Mark Robinson & Mike Cullison (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC, Cullison Music, BMI)
I’m deep into the R&B and jump blues of the ‘40s and ‘50s—and you can hear those
influences on this one. I wrote it with my friend Mike Cullison, a fine lyricist. I
wanted to play some swinging blues guitar on a song, because there’s not enough
jump blues in the world today. This one is for the late, great Johnny Otis, a real idol
of mine.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. RANDY
HANDLEY keyboards. BEN GRAVES alto saxophone.
5. Broke Down (3:11)
Mark Robinson (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC)
I didn’t know if this song was right for this project, but when I heard Paul and Dan
play it, I knew we had something special going on. They made it rock way beyond
what I had envisioned when I heard it in my head. We stretch the envelope and take
the blues someplace new on this one.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. TJ KLAY
harmonica.
6. Pull My Coat (3:43)
Mark Robinson (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC)
An old song of mine that took on new life when Paul threw a big Texas shuffle at it.
It grooves hard and is fun to sing and play over. At the Indiana University School of
Music, I studied with jazz great David Baker (who grew up playing with Wes
Montgomery), and he used the expression “pull my coat,” an old jazz hipster thing
that means “tell me what’s going on, give me the scoop,” I always liked the
expression, so I wrote a song using it. I’m not really that hip, but I can be that hipster
guy when I sing this song.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. MICHAEL
WEBB Hammond organ.
7. Lifetime Prescription (3:43)
Mark Robinson (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC)
This song is my own spin on a traditional slow blues. I had been singing it for a few
months before recording the CD, and it always seemed to get a strong response from
the audience. There might be just a little bit of me in the main character in this song.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. MICHAEL
WEBB Hammond organ. VICKI CARRICO & JONELL MOSSER backup vocals.
8. Rhythm Doctor (4:25)
Mark Robinson & Dave Duncan (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC, Covered Call Music, BMI)
This song is dedicated to Indiana’s funkiest drummer, Rex Miller—the original
Rhythm Doctor. He taught me about second-line drumming and New Orleans
grooves. I wrote it with Dave Duncan (co-writer with Curtis Salgado on several
songs on Curtis’ new CD). We wrote it in about an hour. I wouldn’t have tried
recording it without Paul Griffith, Daniel Seymour. and Randy Handley. These guys
are the soul doctors—with deep trick bags of musical skills to draw from.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. RANDY
HANDLEY keyboards. VICKI CARRICO & JONELL MOSSER backup vocals.
9. What’s the Matter Baby (4:01)
Mark Robinson (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC)
My own take on the Chicago Chess Records groove. This is a song for all the men out
there who have ever had their woman give them “the look.” You know she’s mad,
but you don’t have a clue what you did. How can you keep her happy when you don’t
know what you did to make her mad? Don’t say I never wrote any songs for you,
baby.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. MICHAEL
WEBB Hammond organ. ROGUIE RAY LAMONTAGNE harmonica.
10. Lonely Avenue (4:45)
Doc Pomus (Unichappell Music)
A killer song by the legendary Doc Pomus, made famous by Ray Charles, and it’s
been one of my favorite songs to play live because there’s lots of room to stretch out,
both vocally and on guitar. This song has been sung by a lot of great artists, so I
knew I had to make it my own. You can hear a lot of my R&B, jazz, and blues
influences in the way my voice and guitar interact in a conversation.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. JUSTIN AMARAL drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass. RANDY
HANDLEY piano. MICHAEL WEBB Hammond organ. VICKI CARRICO & JONELL MOSSER
backup vocals.
11. Blue Moon Howl (4:34)
Mark Robinson (Dogs in Trouble Publishing, SESAC)
I love the hypnotic groove of the Hill Country blues—combine it with some spacey
‘60s rock lead guitar and it goes someplace really unexpected. I’m playing a crazy
electric resonator guitar tuned down to open C, and Dan has his five-string Fender
bass hitting those sub-sonic tones, while Paul drives the train with that loose
Mississippi groove that borders on a march. I like to think about David Gilmour
visiting R.L. Burnside at his juke joint in Mississippi to drink some ‘shine and have a
late night jam … the Devil made me do it.
MARK ROBINSON guitar, vocals. PAUL GRIFFITH drums. DANIEL SEYMOUR bass.
HAVE AXE - WILL GROOVE
Mark Robinson
Producer: Mark Robinson
Associate Producer: Daniel Seymour
Engineers: Jim Burnett, Mark Robinson & Daniel Seymour
Recorded and mixed at Guido's Studio South, Nashville, TN
A&R: Sue Havlish
CD Design: Alicia Adkerson, Adkerson Design
Mastering: Paul Mahern, Mahern Audio
Manufacturing: DiscMakers, Rich Furtner
Photographs: Gregg Roth
Mark Robinson vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, glockenspiel
Paul Griffith drums and percussion (all except track 10)
Daniel Seymour bass
Justin Amaral drums (track 10)
Randy Handley piano, keyboards (tracks 3, 4, 8 & 10)
Mike Webb Hammond organ (tracks 3, 6, 7, 9 & 10)
Ben Graves alto saxophone (track 4)
Roguie Ray harmonica (track 9)
TJ Klay harmonica (tracks 1, 5)
Vicki Carrico, Jonnell Mosser backup vocals (tracks 2, 3, 7, 8 & 10)
The Shout Chorus and Chain Gang Choir Daniel Seymour, Randy Handley, Ben
Graves, Mark Robinson (tracks 4, 11)
The Memphis Hounds backup barking (track 2)
• Publicity & Booking
Sue Havlish, Big Sister Productions
sue.havlish@bigsisterproductions.com
812-327-5494
BigSisterProductions.com
• Blues Radio
Todd Glazer, Todd Glazer Promotions
907-279-8546
toddg@gci.net
ToddGlazer.com
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