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Very, very cool, but mysterious. The dark album cover tells it all--a cigarette burns unattended in the tray, and a glass of bourbon sits nearby with a candy cane stir stick. The "group" is Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape, and this unique holiday CD is "Bar-Humbug," which was actually recorded "in New York gin joints." From time to time, the CD includes rough conversation snippets, including right at the start as Walker enters the bar to "tickle the ivories," realistically replicating the atmosphere of the Brotherhood playing in a crowded tavern on a December night.

Walker is Walker Hornung, and his wonderful voice is something very special. He croons in silken-but-smokey deep tones and makes me wish I could pull up a seat at the bar. The voice is a cross between Harry Connick, Jr., and Tom Waits. Walker cruises through eleven holiday tracks, largely Christmas classics plus two Hornung originals. The other unfamiliar cut was the seasonal song with the memorable title of "Christmas Card from a Hooker."

"Remember Christmas" is done twice to bookend the project (one version is sung in the bar; one is the studio version), and both versions are excellent. The New York subway provides the intro to Walker's own "Christmas in NYC"--it's a winner, especially for those of us who love the Big Apple. Walker's other original ("Christmas in Caribbean") nicely possesses that lovely island swing. The most humorous number is "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas," where it sounds as though the whole bar (the "Queens Bar All-Stars"?) has opted to sing along, and they're having a lot of fun participating.

Overall, the tone is surprisingly not boisterous; holiday classics such as "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are done with straight-ahead verve and sophistication. For the most part, the album's feeling is a little lonely and somewhat poignant.

The liner notes are essentially nonexistent. The unadorned CD arrived in a cardboard slip cover. The Brotherhood of the Grape website provides a bit more information, but not much. Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape is a darkly stylish group, and "Bar-Humbug" is a definite find for those seeking something a little different this holiday season.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2004)

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From the liner notes:

Featuring Walker Hornung, the genius of Ron Zabrocki, Eddy Joe McCabe and the Queens Bar All-Stars.

From the website:

Walker Hornung: New York City is a melting pot, and the music of Walker is what is cooking. In the early 1990's, He, along with the band Q-south, introduced New York city to a new sound. Hard Rock attacked by flamenco guitars.His songwritng partnerships with Chris Deleo and Edward Klinger created the timeless C.D. Q-South, that along with a string of unforgettable performances scarred the lower east side of the city. The band split in 1998.

Walker's search for something new led him to collaborations with soca sensations Machel Montano, and Bunji Garlin. The Caribbean provided a brand new garden for Rock/Soca to take root. A string of hits later, and 4 years after the debut release of Q-South, The Brotherhood of the Grape is assembled and the whole musical journey is recorded. 14 songs of broken love, broken people, and broken images interwoven with magical musicianship from the world over. In 2003 The Brotherhood recorded a Christmas CD for Cancer entitled "Bar-Humbug" recorded in New York gin joints, a classic for every future holiday season.

Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape

Bar-Humbug

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Track List