Playing R&B with the proper edge can mean playing it with a sense of abandon. That’s the case with The Hi-Jivers, who perform classic blues material by the likes of Slim Harpo and Otis Rush. They also write their own songs, which bear comparison to the material they resurrect from the legendary past. Vocalist Dawna Zahn sounds like one of the great blues shouters from the 1950s, and she’s also a compelling frontperson. Guitarist Austin John — he and Zahn are married — goes to the edge of what an R&B guitarist can do in the context of a song, and usually ends up somewhere you never anticipated.
Best R&B Band
