Feelin' the blues with the Harvey Dalton Arnold Blues Band

The Harvey Dalton Arnold Blues Band.
(L-R) Kim Shomaker, Darrell Young,
Harvey Dalton Arnold and Tim Carey

  When Steve Hill, manager of the Harvey Dalton Arnold Blues Band, called and invited me to stop by the bands practice, meet the guys and hang out for a while I was thrilled to say the least. Even though the band is based out of Burlington where I live and practices there I had not been able to catch their show yet. I had heard great things about them from many of their peers and fans and was anxious to hear them, so when Steve extended the invite there was no way I would refuse.

  When I arrived the band was in full force, driving through an infectious number that instantly brought a smile to my face. Steve introduced me to the band after they finished the number – Kim Shomaker on lead guitar, Tim Carey on drums, Darrell Young on bass and of course Harvey Dalton Arnold on guitar. Offering me a stool and a beer I sat for the next hour listening to amazing renditions of cover tunes (including an off-the-chain cover of the Beatles “I Want You”) and original material and chatted with the guys about the band and their music. It was evident from the start that these guys are a tight unit, both musically and as friends and each of them play with an enthusiasm and love for the music that makes you realize it is more than just a song to them.
  The band came together in the spring of 2010. Arnold, who found fame early in his career as a member of the 70's rock group The Outlaws, had stopped by Shomaker's guitar store in Burlington one day and they began to jam. In short order they added Young and Carey. Each member is a prodigious talent in their own right but collectively the music HDABB creates is unparalleled. Watching musician's who perform as though they are enraptured by the music they are creating enables the listener to also "get lost" in the music... the performance becomes a drug and the music is the trip. Sitting there watching and listening as these formidable musicians went through their repertoire in practice I could only imagine how infectious their live stage performance would be.
  I plan one day soon to catch the Harvey Dalton Arnold Blues Band's show and highly recommend that you make plans to do the same. The "trip" will be worth it!