Today, GuitarWorld.com presents an exclusive video featuring Omar Dykes, whose new album, Runnin' with the Wolf,, was released July 9 via Mascot Label Group's Provogue Records.
The video, which features samples of some of the music on the new album, shows Dykes meeting fans at Antone's Records and other well-known spots in Austin, Texas.
On Runnin' with the Wolf, Dykes and his Austin-based ensemble, the Howlers, cover 14 Howlin' Wolf classics, plus the title track, an original song.
"I do my little versions of the songs," Dykes said. "If Howlin’ Wolf were a 500-pound steel anvil, then I’m a little piece of steel wool that fell out of the pack.”
Dykes has been making swaggering, celebratory electric blues rock since 1976. He was born in McComb, Mississippi, in 1950, and formed the band Omar & the Howlers in 1978. He enjoys a following that stretches coast to coast in North America and over to Europe.
"We’ve done good over there (Europe) for about 30 years," Dykes said. "They can listen to Madonna followed by Bo Diddley, and it’s just fine. They also like their Howlin’ Wolf over there too.”
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
