They don’t practise any organised religion where they rob your hard earned and decree you to read the Ten Commandments. Duke & the King credos are “music is our medicine” an ointment and remedy that soothes your soul.
Upon meeting the members of this foursome for a yarn a rush of blood goes shoots through my loins in sheer anxiety, but within minutes I feel at ease. The band initiated when Simone Felice branched out from his Felice family tree to gang up with old time pal Bobbie Bird Burke. The early makings were hashed out in Simone’s family barn and Bobbie’s home cabin. The home recording cabin is where debut LP “Nothing Gold Can Stay” was created. Bobbie mentions “If you solo the tracks you can hear Simone cutting ginger or peppermint in the back, whilst I am producing the piece on my vintage 24-track below my bed”. This lo-fi recording method has kept them quite frank and exclusive, without manipulation, tweaking or some douchebag in a glass box dictating the direction of their sound.
The culmination of these two swindlers was the inclusion of Reverend Loveday (Nowell Haskins) whose papa was in Parliament/Funkedelic plus the forth angel Simi Stone to sew up the church sing along. Unlike other groups the harmony conveyed between each other is contagious. In this tiny confession like room they elucidate to me that they will build a church tonight, ” with wooden pews, lead lighting, brick by brick with our voices as material”, all in aid to ratify a message to live forever young.
When posed if they will be performing any covers tonight they mention the man Neil Young. Simone strayed off to tell me a yarn about Levon Helms, legendary drummer for The Band, who invited Duke & the King to play for 300 of his loyal fans at his ranch. They played 'Helpless' and Levon stated ‘it was the best version he’d ever heard’; a massive ego boost seeing as Neil Young played it in The Last Waltz, The classic Scorsese flick for The Bands’ last show. “A must see flick indeed, Bobby Dylan came out for the last song wearing this massive cowboy hat singing with Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, its bangin’ man, just genius”
The yak ends on a high note as they all pitch in for their version of Bob Segers “We got tonight babe why don’t you stay”. How could I ever contemplate leaving after that? I depart with my head in the clouds and ready for the knees up to begin.
Our patience was rewarded with Americana Gold as the shining foursome instantly lit up the stage. They then crooned into 'If You Ever Get Famous' with the Reverend Loveday on skins, Bobbie Bird swaying on bass, Simi on keys and viola, and the Captain Simone steering the ethereal ship with his angelic say-so.
Ahead of the next track Simone took this opening to unshackle “this is just a church, you can come here with one leg, a Gerry curl or be bald as a badger, it don’t matter as long as you sing along and worship the songs”. The response was a wave of claps before Duke & the King flounced into a rendition of The Felice Brother' 'Scarecrow'. Simone fixated on the vox with devil like eyes, daring anyone game enough to stare him down with sincerity in his pupils. The toe tapping kept on trucking with 'Suzanne', as the affable Reverend Loveday decorated his lungs with a meaningful hum. Simi was by his side delivering a pitch perfect solo on the viola and Bobbie in his Catskill Mountains cap dropping thick bass lines off the top.
The harmonica hums across our heartstrings as they bring out a top shelf version of 'Helpless'. This wasn’t Levon outback ranch, though if you had a backbone you would have felt the emotion dripping from the stage as they bowed out to a final farewell.
Every now and then you’re reminded how tricky it can be for the sea of bands out there putting their hats in the ring of fire, yet this fab four have all the precise ingredients in the melting pot. There’s enough camaraderie and like talent to make the harshest critic stand up and take note of this Huckleberry Finn outfit. I’m off to get my copy of The Last Waltz.
Posted In Features, Nov 27 2009.
Words - Chez De Bartolo