About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

For many, when you think of early rock & roll, certain images and sounds immediately come to mind -- Chuck Berry strumming his red Gibson while duck-walking, a sweaty Little Richard wailing into the mike, Jerry Lee Lewis bashing the piano, etc. But what's often forgotten is that in rock's dawning moments, horns played a big part in the then-new genre's sound. And Screamin' Jay Hawkins was one of rock's early artists to embrace blaring saxophones -- as well as theatrics. As evidenced by the 1994 release I Shake My Stick at You, Hawkins was rockin' and hollerin' till the very end. Although it's a studio effort (recorded while Hawkins was on tour in Australia a year before the album's release), I Shake My Stick at You manages to capture the energy and looseness of a live gig -- in fact, with the addition of audience cheering, you could be fooled into believing it's a concert recording. Hawkins is at the top of his game on such highlights as the album-opening "Live Love or Die," "Because of You," and the X-rated "Furburger." If you're interested in digging a bit deeper into Hawkins' catalog beyond just "I Put a Spell on You" and perhaps a hits set, I Shake My Stick at You is certainly one of his stronger studio releases (which is quite an accomplishment, considering it appeared this late in Hawkins' career). Greg Prato, All Music Guide

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