Infectious rhythms propel local band

Paul Contino sings of cheap hooch and cheaper thrills over rhythms that make movement compulsory.

He squeezes his accordion like a man caressing the curves of his lady as the rest of the Contino band eases into their set with a nonchalant swagger that becomes more pronounced as singer/guitarist Al Ek awakens his harmonica with lungs heaving.

Before long, Rob Edwards is leaning his upright bass into drummer Jim Lovgren's kit, goading him on, as keyboardist Billy Truitt bobs and grooves behind his instrument.

They drift from a traditional blues moan to a purring Tom Waits cover to foot-stomping zydeco in the span of 10 minutes on a recent Wednesday night at the E-String in Henderson, where they hold court at this time every week.

Two songs in, a couple gets up and starts dancing in front of the stage.

It's a scene that's played out many times before - it got Contino a record deal, in fact.

Last year, at a gig in San Francisco, the president of Bay Area-based blues label Blind Pig Records came out to see the band along with his wife.

Pretty soon, they were both up on their feet.

"They said it was the first time they had danced in 20 years," Truitt recalls.

"I think that's the secret: It's all about chicks," Ek winks. "The wife starts dancing; what's he going to say, 'No'?"

Not long after that, Contino inked a deal with the company, a blues powerhouse that's put out records from greats such as Buddy Guy and Pinetop Perkins and is home to such notable players as Coco Montoya and Nick Curran.

The band's first album for Blind Pig, "Back Porch Dogma," is a bit of a departure for the label, an eclectic survey of styles that Ek likens to listening to Top 40 radio in the '60s.

"You would have 'Little Green Apples' right next to Deep Purple right next to the Grateful Dead right next to Tammy Wynette," he says. "There's some surf, some rock, some blues, some zydeco."

"We didn't intentionally try to make it so diversified; it just kind of happened that way," adds Contino, son of storied singer/accordionist Dick Contino, who toured with his father for 15 years. "We still don't really have a direction we're going in."

It's an intuitive-sounding record, a group of seasoned players who have known each other for years from local jam sessions vibing off one another, surprising each other.

They don't have a destination in mind. For them, it's just about stepping on the gas and enjoying the ride.

"We can do what we want," Ek says matter-of-factly, "Just as long as we do it well."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.