David Teegarden & Skip Knapé – But Anyhow, Teegarden & Van Winkle (1969) (24/44 Vinyl Rip)

Skip Knapé and David Teegarden were a duo based in Detroit who put out a number of albums from the late 60's to early 70's. Their sound was remarkably full despite the fact that the only instrumentation was organ and drums. Reminds me a bit of what Brian Auger was doing around this time, and also perhaps a touch of that great organ-based trio out of Manchester, The Peddlers. Both members went on to play with Bob Seger … but let's not hold that against them ;-)) With contributions by the mysterious "Jimbo", a possible alias for Bob Seger on noises (tambourine / maracas / backing vocals)

Review from Allmusic:
Drummer David Teegarden and organist Skip "VanWinkle" Knapé brought a little Tulsa soul-jazz to the rock world in the late 1960s and early '70s, but unfortunately, save for the 1970 hit "God, Love and Rock & Roll," they didn't generate a whole lot of commercial success. Part of the problem was the world then just didn't know quite what to make of a rock act that didn't feature flashy electric guitar, which is a shame, because these guys worked from an interesting template. But Anyhow, the duo's second album, originally issued on LP in 1970, is probably their best, and at its finest moments it mixes rootsy rock with a soul-jazz center and the result is pretty intriguing. The real gem here is the opening track, "Annie Had a Baby," which sounds nothing so much as a long lost track by the Band, and it is Americana in the best sense. Nothing else rises quite that high, although the duo's deliberately slow, bluesy take on Jimmy Reed's "Bright Lights, Big City" comes close, and their take on Donovan's somewhat dated "Season of the Witch" has a refreshing and jazzy lounge feel to it that surprises maybe more than it actually works. Still, this is a consistently pleasant album, and Teegarden & VanWinkle's vocal work is often wonderfully perfect for their unique instrumental style. For anyone curious about this somewhat unusual duo, this album is probably the place to start.

Tracks
1. Annie Had a Baby 04:01
2. Season of the Witch 03:56
3. Cloud Castle Gate 05:10
4. Red Haired Woman 03:19
5. Autumn Flowers 02:12
6. Short One 02:03
7. She Caught the Katie and Left Me a Mule to Ride 03:49
8. Run, Woman, Run 02:33
9. Bright Lights, Big City 07:36
10. All About My Ole Bitch 05:53
Total Time: 40:28

Musicians
David "Tee" Teegarden: Drums, Vocals
Skip "V.W." Knapé: Organ, Piano, Vocals
Jimbo (Bob Seger?): Tambourine, Maracas, Backing Vocals