Professor Louie & The Crowmatix Flyin' High CD

Additional personnel includes: Rick Danko (vocals, bass); Laurel Masse (vocals); John Platania (guitar); Larry Packer (violin); Tom "Bones" Malone (brass); Garth Hudson (keyboards).

Professor "Louie" and the Crowmatix are a group of veteran musicians based out of Woodstock, NY, and their second album, Flyin' High, certainly speaks clearly of the influence of hometown heroes the Band -- the album features tunes written by Levon Helm and Rick Danko. Garth Hudson plays keyboards on seven cuts, and frequent Band sideman Larry Packer adds violin to a cover of "Jack-A-Roe." Professor "Louie" (aka Aaron Hurwitz) at least comes by his Band influence honestly, as he helped produce and engineer the group's three post-Robbie Robertson efforts in the 1990s, and there's no arguing that he's put together a band who have the chops to do justice to the Band's expansive roots rock style. However, the point of the Band was never chops so much as great songs performed with heart and soul, and this is where the Crowmatix fall short of the mark; "Don't Wait," written by Levon Helm, is easily the most interesting tune here (and Hurwitz sings it with very Levon-like drawl), while the bulk of the material written by various Crowmatix is expert but hollow, pleasant tunes well played but nothing that's likely to register in your memory. Flyin' High sounds like a great demo for a top-notch backing band that's in need of a songwriter and lead singer who can inject some much needed fire and personality into the formula; perhaps their neighbors Marshall Crenshaw or Graham Parker might be able to do something memorable with them. ~ Mark Deming

Aaron Hurwitz (aka Professor Louie) was a session musician on three records recorded by the Band in the mid-'90s, and it shows throughout Flyin' High. The 11 songs on Flyin' High are, like the Band, a deft mix of Americana genres, including bluegrass, zydeco, folk, rockabilly, and others. There are some notable guest appearances ...