December 2000

Billy Bang
Big Bang Theory
Justin Time Records

By John Murph

Recorded almost a month after The Power, Bang tackles some of the same tunes on Big Bang Theory, and from the first eight bars of "Contrary Motion," it's evident what a cohesive ensemble with clearly defined roles can do. Still "Contrary Motion" is basically a simple song built on a riff, but thanks to Curtis Lundy's swaggering bass lines, Alexis Pope's sparkling piano accompaniment and Codaryl Moffett's swinging drumming, the composition becomes a delightful showcase for Bang's bluesy, backwoods fiddling. Other sharp comparisons to The Power can be instantly made with "At Play in the Fields of the Lord" and "Silent Observation." And once you get to the down-home rendition of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," you'll realize that Big Bang Theory is where the power truly lies.