Rock Archeologia

Cashman Vaquero Band - In Memory of Berry Oakley (1979)

Artist: Cashman Vaquero Band
Title: In Memory of Berry Oakley
Label: Walnut West Records
Catalog#: 89-75
Year: 1979
Country: US
Genre: Rock, Jazz Rock, Blues
Duration: 00:36:05

• Okay, I could figure out the 'Cashman' part of the band's name (e.g. singer/guitarist Doug Cashman), but for the longest time I didn't have a clue as to the Vaquero part of the name (there didn't appear to be anyone with that surname in the line up) and what about the odd album title? Well, luckily for me Doug Cashman stumbled across my short review and was generous enough to provide some of the missing pieces (see below).
• Recorded in San Francisco's Far Out Studios and produced by James Mason Davis, most references describe 1979's "In Memory of Berry Oakley" as being Allman Brothers-styled Southern rock. That's not quite right. I certainly hear Allman-influences, particularly in some of the Cashman-Sadus guitar interplay, but the set's far more diverse than that. With the exception of a mildly-jazzy cover of John Mayall's 'California', the set boasts original material that finds the band taking stabs at conventional boogie ('Down In the Belly'), country-rock (the pretty ballad 'Driving Me Crazy') lite-jazz ('View from a Mountain Peak') and even Santana-styled Latin rock ('Security'). Cashman and Sadus share vocal duties and they both have pretty good voices. Judging by the liner notes Sadus apparently died while the album was being made, but between his work and that of guest guitarist Robert John Guziejka (who contributed a couple of songs and played with Cashman and Oakley in their garage band days), there are quite a few tasty lead guitars scattered throughout the set including some Duane Allman-styled runs on 'Good Days' and some jazzy scatting on 'There's No Tellin'. Curiously, at least to my ears the biographical tribute title track is the leas impressive effort.

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 • Side One:
A1. California (John Mayall) 02:50
A2. Down In the Belly (Robert John Guziejka) 05:22
A3. Your Driving Me Crazy (Robert John Guziejka) 02:37
A4. Security (Doug Cashman) 04:20
A5. Good Days (Ron Sadus) 02:44
 • Side Two:
B1. View from a Mountain Peak (Doug Cashman) 04:12
B2. There's No Tellin (Doug Cashman) 05:51
B3. In Memory of Berry Oakley (Doug Cashman - Ron Sadus) 03:42
B4. San Francisco Sunset (instrumental) (Doug Cashman) 04:22

 

Musicians:
Doug Cashman - Rhythm Guitar, Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Ron Sadus - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Alto Vocals
James Vincent - Guitar
Will Paskett - Piano
Gael Alcock - Cello
Tom Donlinger - Drums
* Special Thanks To:
Joel Manchak - Lead and Slide Guitar
Rger Paskett - Bass
Bob Lee - Pedal Steel
Barry Thomas - Percussion
Lenny Mazza - Alto Sax

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