Hangry (feat. Warner E. Hodges)

#145 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, Hangry, features the muscular guitar wrangling of Warner E. Hodges. An army brat, born in Germany, he was also the drummer in the family band. His father took him to see Deep Purple in the early 70's and that combined with his older brother turning him on to Hendrix and Zeppelin, Warner converted to guitar and the course was set. By the late 1970's Warner was living in Nashville and AC/DC and The Sex Pistols were holding equal sway in Warner's vision of what Rock could be. Combining forces with Jason Ringenberg, dropping Hank Williams and the Ramones in a blender, Jason & The Scorchers were born. Pioneers in the newly coined Alt Country and Americana genres they ultimately received the “Lifetime Achievement Award For Live Performance from the Americana Music Association in 2008. At that same time, Warner joined Dan Baird and Mauro Magellan (both ex Georgia Satellites) in a new band, Dan Baird & Homemade Sin and they began a five album, world touring run that only recently ended with Baird's retirement. Retirement does not appear to be on Warner's itinerary, as he continues to tour "anywhere and everywhere that has the electricity to stage the show and the money to pay the band." Quoting, as I often do, from Captain Beefheart’s 10 Commandments of Guitar Playing specifically #5; "If your brain is part of the process, you’re missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something that is fur bearing." I believe that Warner's performance on this track is indeed, fur bearing. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Andrew "the kid" Guterman (Rick Estrin) on drums, and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy-winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis), and masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.