Mean Old Fireman
Rescue 3
First Due Music Company
By Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro © June 2024
The Mean Old Fireman is actually a real life first responder – based in the Boston, MA area – whose name is Ned Bolle. Rescue 3 is his third release and I have had the pleasure of working with all three. For this project, the team of musicians include: Ned on vocals, guitars, bass, bass ukelele and banjo; Peter Chase on harp; Christina Lacoste on backing vocals and accordion; Tom Martin on bass; Shockwell Morency on percussion and vocals; Joey Pafumi on drums; Marty Phillips on sax; John Wadkins on keyboards and piano; and Rory Walsh on drums and percussion. The album contains nine tracks, of which five were penned by the mean old guy.
The album opens with “I’m Not Crying”, a song by Nashville legend Jack Pearson. According to Ned, the song attracted him because of its “Combining a funky, infectious groove; a strong melody and lyrics; jazz influences; and non-traditional chord progressions; that puts a fresh face on the blues”. Yep, that’s Jack Pearson, and yep, the Mean Old Fireman’s rendition did indeed touch on all that. The track kicks off with Marty Philips blowing out a funky sax groove that immediately leads into Rory (drums), Tom (bass) and John (keyboards) all getting on board the funk train. Things soon get jazzy and bluesy as Marty and Ned spar on jazzed up sax riffs and smokin’ blues guitar licks.
Ned claims that he was just nine years old when he first heard the term 12 bar blues. Thinking it was a song about twelve drinking establishments is what eventually inspired him to write this song. It’s called “12 Bars” and it literally references twelve joints that were prominent during the golden age of live music in Boston. As the story goes, suffering from getting dumped, Ned could use a drink. The problem that ensues is that one of the joints he goes to turns out to be a place where “a beer and a beating” is common fare; another is where “the music is too loud and it’s full of a damn disc crowd; and before you know it, while actually naming everyone, Ned does indeed encounter the 12 bar blues. Lyrically, vocally and musically, this is very entertaining seven-and-a-half minute song, and some of you may actually know the places Ned sings about.
“Highland Blues” is something Ned created as a result of sounds he heard while the TV was on in his motel room. Somehow, the sound stuck with him, and the rest is history. It’s a very quick two-minute instrumental with a very quick pace. It features Ned on guitars and bass and Joey on drums doing their best interpretation of ‘Scotland The Brave’.
If Boston is, or ever was your home, then you are surely familiar with a song by The Standells titled “Dirty Water” (Ed Cobb). Having picked up on the song’s underlying blues vibe, the Mean Old Fireman took it and created a downright dirty and slow blues version of it. While not changing the lyrics at all, Ned and the band not only made this one their own, but they made it one of the best versions I’ve ever heard. Musically, Ned is both masterful on the slow, drawn out blues vocals and the slow and low down blues licks on the guitar as well; Marty is putting on a ‘blues saxophone 101’ class, while belting the hell out of the blues on his sax leads; Peter, on his only appearance, and a killer one at that, has me wondering why more songs didn’t feature this monster harmonica maestro; and because songs like this just don’t work if you don’t have a rhythm section laying down a precise rhythm groove, Rory, Tom and John are doing just that on the drums bass and keyboard respectively. Being nearly eight minutes of slow blues being done perfectly, this was certainly my favorite track.
On the one-sheet that accompanied the disc, Ned states that he wrote this song on a hot hazy summer afternoon on his front porch. Just give one listen to Ned playing the guitar, bass uke, and banjo; John playing the piano; Rory playing the drums and added percussion; and Christina playing the accordion; and you wouldn’t have needed that explanation. This “Romp” has porch written all over it.
How do you take a song as unique as “Werewolves Of London” (Warren Zevon) and make it even more unique? You simply put it in the hands of the Mean Old Fireman. Now that I’ve aroused your curiosity, you’ll just have to give this one a listen. I’ll tell you how you can do that in just a few more minutes.
Other tracks on Rescue 3 include: “Werewolves Of London” (acoustic version); “Lynn, Lynn”; and “The Emptiest Drum”.
Also, I’d like to thank Ned for the very informative information he provided on the one-sheet. It’s refreshing to see the realization that the more listeners and reviewers know, the better the listening and writing experience is.
Should you like to find out more about the Mean Old Fireman, or purchase a copy of the CD, just go to his website – www.meanoldfireman.com. Remember, please tell the (not so) mean guy that his friend the Blewzzman sent you.
“The Blues Is My Passion And Therapy”
Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro
Blues Editor @ www.Mary4Music.com
2011 “Keeping The Blues Alive” Award Recipient
