Here's the latest band review, straight out of the June, 1999 issue of the internationally acclaimed Blues Revue Magazine. Also, Bugs says if you can get your hands on the mag, check out the back cover for a surprise.
"A stage recording by Bugs Beddow Band. Live at the 1997 Mid-Michigan Blues Festival (Great Lakes Music 9701) offers a set of 13 covers such as 'One Way Out,' Tower of Power's 'Once You Get A Taste,' and 'My Babe.' The mix gets eclectic with a rendition of Mojo Nixon's 'Poontango' and a note-perfect cover of Frank Zappa's challenging 'I'm The Slime.' Great recording quality for a live disc, and the band is tight; there are lots of great harmony vocals and horn parts. Best Cut: The steamy version of Dr. John's 'Funkalishus' offers boppin' funk with blasting horns."
Ed Ivey, Blues Bites Column, Blues Revue, June, 1999
"If you live in Michigan or have visited with any frequency, you have probably heard Bugs and his band. If you haven't, you should. Anyone that is a jazz or blues fan, or might be a dancing fool, will enjoy the high- energy this group generates. Bugs is known for the excellent and talented musicians he has had accompany him through the years. They can be serious or turn any venue into a major party, and be rockin', downright house rockin'. It's called 'trombone party blues' with all up-tempo boogie music. That is the full focus, to be the blues-based party band. The lineup of the band is Bugs Beddow, band leader, 'the T-Rex of the T-Bone' on trombone, flute, Duffy King on guitar, James Morse on saxophone, Jim Pryor on drums and Don Turner on electric and string bass, they all share vocals. Bugs has a rich history and has made a name for himself as a very versatile musician. He has received numerous awards in Blues as well as Jazz. He picked the trombone because at a school assembly, the student pep band and all the other musicians tended to just sit there while the trombone player was moving and displayed a lot of animation. That appealed to Bugs. His greatest inspiration was from a couple of trombone players from the Detroit area (not knowing they were from Detroit until much later), Curtis Fuller, and Frank Rosolino. His flute playing was inspired by the band "Jethro Tull" during his high school year. Bugs discovered not only the blues, but blues with a flute, when he heard James Moody on the album, Last Train From Overbook. Overbrook is a mental institution in which Moody was a patient for awhile. After leaving there Moody then recorded the greatest blues album with a flute, as far as Bugs was concerned. Bugs knew he liked the blues, but it was playing in a group years ago that made him take note. Lowell Cauffiel was a guitarist with the Progressive Blues Band. While Bugs was playing with them in the '80s, he realized that that was the music he connected with the most. Bugs describes the blues as, 'The best musical common denominator, story telling music, music with a message, evoking a lot of feeling. I was trained as a classical player. I have enjoyed and performed all kinds of music, but the blues definitely let's you communicate with the largest group of people.' As he looks at the many blues artists that he has watched perform and even performed with, he has heard them talk about what they have gone through, some of the bad business deals, and rip-offs. But these people still keep going and never stop making great music. In the face of adversity they still give a soul inspiring show, performing the music they love. That instilled Bugs to concentrate on the music. It is just a series of notes, but when delivered with feeling, the music will come through, no matter what. When things are bad for the artists, it is because of the 'business' but the music itself is what has kept them going. Of all of the past six albums Bugs has released, each has had a few originals. In 1999, the new CD and tour is named the 'Bone Voyage Tour. This will feature new, all original blues tunes with 'trombone driven party blues'. Bugs and his band all love to perform and it shows."
David L. Fox, Big City Blues, January, 1999