BY RICK FOSTER SUN CHRONICLE NEWSPAPER STAFF "LONG THE GOLD STANDARD IN HOMEGROWN BLUES FROM SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE BLUE FOS HAD LITTLE MORE TO ADD TO THEIR TRICK BAG OF ROLLICKING KEYBOARDS, RAZOR-SHARP GUITAR RIFFS, SASSY LYRICS AND SASSIER VOCALS. BUT THE ATTLEBORO BAND, LED BY HARMONICA LEGEND JAMES "KILLER" KANE, HAS RAISED ITS INTENSITY TO A NEW PITCH WITH ITS NEW ALBUM "DONE YOUR TIME". THOSE WHO ENJOYED THE PRECIOUS CD, "JEWEL CITY BLUES", WILL FIND THE AUDACIOUS PLAYING AND SOULFUL LYRICS THEY'VE COME TO EXPECT ON "DONE YOUR TIME'S" 11 NEW SONGS. BUT THEY'LL ALSO DISCOVER A BAND THAT CONTINUES TO GROW AND PUSH THE ENVELOPE IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS. KEYBOARDIST CHARLIE HUNTINGTON, WHOSE BULLETPROOF SONGWRITING AND PLAYING SKILLS MAKE UP A BIG PART OF THE BAND'S SOUND, PERFORMS HIS USUAL GOOD-TIMES MAGIC ON SUCH TUNES AS "JUST ENOUGH" AND THE ALBUM'S TITLE TUNE. BUT THE HIGHLY-COLLABORATIVE BAND ALSO MAKES GOOD USE OF MUSIC AND LYRICAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GUITARIST-SONGWRITER TIM LINDSEY, KANE, JAZZ GUITARIST-VOCALIST ANDY SOLBERG, SINGER HEIDI NIRK AND LOCAL POET-LYRICIST MARK FLANAGAN. NOTHING ABOUT THE BAND'S PERFORMING STYLE SEEMS TO HAVE GONE TOTALLY UNTOUCHED. LINDSEY, WHOSE PEERLESS GUITAR LICKS AND ATTITUDE-PLUS SINGING STYLE WERE ON FULL DISPLAY IN "JEWEL CITY", IS MORE THAN UP TO TOPPING HIMSELF IN THIS EDITION. "BONNIE'S BOUNCE", HUNTINGTON'S TAKE ON THE LOST ART OF BLUES INTRUMENTAL MUSIC, IS A SHOWCASE FOR LINDSEY'S GUITAR LICKS AND THE ALL-AROUND VIRTUOSITY OF THE BAND. MEANWHILE, KANE'S DIATONIC AND CHROMATIC HARMONICA PLAYING--NEARLY ALWAYS OUT FRONT ON "JEWEL CITY"--SEEMS MORE ORGANIC AND EMBEDDED WITHIN EACH TUNE ON "DONE". FEMALE LEAD VOCALIST HEIDI NIRK'S DISTINCTIVE AND SUPPLE VOICE, MEANWHILE, REVEALS A SINGER OF CONSIDERABLE VERSATILITY. SHE IS AT TIMES INFUSED WITH THE SWEET, OLD-SCHOOL SPIRIT OF BESSIE SMITH AS ON "DONE YOUR TIME", BUT CAN ALSO SING WITH THE SELF-ASSURED DEFIANCE OF A JANIS JOPLIN. NIRK ALSO JUMPS INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS ON THE ALBUM, PENNING A LOVE-AND-HEARTBREAK LYRICS FOR HUNTINGTON'S "LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE" AND CONTRIBUTING TO OTHER TUNES AS WELL. SOLBERG, THE INFLUENTIAL JAZZ GUITAR PERFORMER, STANDS OUT WITH HIS PLAYING AND SATCHMO-FLAVORED SINGING STYLE ON TWO OF THE ALBUM'S CUTS. PERCUSSIONIST MOOK KANE, "KILLER'S" BROTHER, ALSO DELIVERS AN EFFECTIVE GUEST PERFORMANCE. AS ALWAYS, DRUMMER RANDY FYFE AND BASSIST DAVE MCCARTHY PROVIDE A SOLID FOUNDATION AND RHYTHM FOR THE BAND'S SONGS THAT MORE THAN KEEPS UP WITH THE BLUE FOS AND VARIED STYLINGS." 2006 RELEASE THE 11-CUT CD OF ALL ORIGINALS WAS RELEASED AT THEIR 2006 NEW YEAR'S PARTY AT CHAN'S EGGROLL & JAZZ IN WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND. THIS CREATIVE CD CONTAINS LYRICS WRITTEN BY MARK FLANAGAN, JAMES "KILLER" KANE, TIM LINDSAY, CHARLES HUNTINGTON AND HEIDI NIRK. DONE YOUR TIME, ALSO CONTAINS A TRIBUTE SONG, ROWDY SIDE OF HEAVEN, WRITTEN FOR BAND MEMBERS AND FRIENDS THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE THEM. Killer Kane: Instrument/vocals: harmonica (diatonic & chromatic) Originally from Attleboro, Massachusetts How they got into the band: The Founding Father Significant blues influences: Paul Butterfield, Little Walter & The Allman Brothers Tim Lindsey: Instrument/vocals: lead guitar & lead vocals Originally from Attleboro, Massachusetts How they got into the band: original member (one of the founding fathers) How they got into the blues: weaned on southern rock (Allman Brothers). Significant blues influences: Freddy King, Delbert McClinton, stevie Ray, BB King, Clapton, Robin Ford Favorite hobby: music, squash, fishing, beach Charlie Huntington: Instrument/vocals: piano, organ, backround vocals Originally from where: north attleboro, massachusetts How they got into the band: original member ( one of the founding fathers) How they got into the blues: just kind of grew into it in the 70's & 80's Significant blues influences: Allman Brothers, BB King, Yaj Mahal & Clapton Favorite hobby: music. This is it Randy Fyfe: Instrument/vocals/drums Originally from where: Attleboro, Mssachusetts How they got into the band: Blue f.o.'s played at my 40th bday party and asked me to sit in. This became my musical ressurection and the rest is history How they got into the blues: life experiences Significant blues influences: Delbert McClinton, Clapton, Stevie Ray and old Led Zepplin blues Favorite hobby: golf Dave McCarthy: Instrument/Electric Bass Originally from where: Cumberland, RI Hooked on bass from the time he heard Jack Bruce on Cream's "Disraeli Gears" album, Dave also cites Duck Dunn and Delbert McClinton as major influences. A former member of the Rock 'N Soul Horns, he found his way to the Blue F.O.'s after working with Tim Lindsey in recording sessions for the last album from the late Rick Mendes. Heidi Nirk PLAYS: Lead Vocals FROM: Blackstone, Mass Heidi has recently joined the band through the recommendation of a fellow friend and musician, Mr. Ken Lyon. Heidi was majorly influenced to inspire blues singing by Ken Lyon, Kim Wilson, Gloria Hardiman, Etta James, KoKo Taylor, and Janis Joplin. After years of sampling all styles of music, at the age of 25 Heidi has finally found where her voice is perfectly matched with the blues.