BAND OF VETERANS ON REBOUND

“This isn’t serious head-bangin’ Spandex rock ‘n’ roll,” says Bluesbusters guitarist Paul Barrere. “When I was growing up, rock ‘n’ roll was rhythm & blues, Little Richard, Fats Domino--that toe-tappin’, hip-shakin’, get-your-good-feeling-feeling-good kind of music. That’s the direction we’ve taken.”

That’s evident in the music on the Bluesbusters’ debut LP, “Accept No Substitute” (on Landslide Records), and in the L.A. band’s frequent live shows (they play the Palomino tonight). It’s not uncharted territory, but the Bluesbusters’ gumbo of New Orleans, R&B; and Southern boogie sounds fresh and fun--especially compared to the synth-heavy flavor of much of today’s pop music.

“Up until this project I felt a little out of it,” says Barrere, 38. “Music took on some new directions in the early ‘80s and now it seems to be circling back to where I’m coming from, with Stevie Ray Vaughan and the (Fabulous) Thunderbirds making their splashes. I notice in our audiences a lot of youngsters who have never heard this kind of music and are going back and listening to old Allman Brothers, Little Feat and some of Bonnie Raitt’s early stuff.”

The latter two names figure strongly in the Bluesbusters sound: Barrere was the guitarist and one of the main songwriters for the ‘70s’ great eccentric boogie band Little Feat, and Freebo played bass mainly with Raitt. T. Lavitz was the keyboardist in the Dixie Dregs, Larry Zack was Jackson Browne’s drummer, and Catfish Hodge has headed up blues bands for 20 years and has 11 records out. Collectively, the band has contributed to at least 100 albums.

The Bluesbusters began as a duet in 1984 when Hodge asked Barrere to accompany him on some out-of-town gigs to avoid the Olympics mania. A year later the group expanded to a quintet, and “Accept No Substitute” came out last June.

Despite the members’ veteran status, they found they faced the same difficulties as any young act: getting through to record company representatives, playing clubs for little or no money to get the name out, sponsoring their own tours. But for all the frustrations, Freebo, 38, says it’s better on the rebound.

“I think you appreciate anything more the second time around,” says the bassist. “You appreciate the fact that maybe the first time around you were lucky. You happened to be in the right place at the right time. The second time around you earned it.”

Adds Barrere, “To me, playing clubs has been a real good experience. You don’t have to be real serious. I seem to enjoy myself more playing these days than I did doing the higher pressure gigs that Little Feat was doing towards the end of our career.”

Barrere is not just re-learning the joys of clubland. He’s also finding out about the essential machinery necessary for a contemporary act.

“The last time around I had no personal input to any part of the business,” he says. “Management took care of this, the label took care of that. You got up there, played your ax, wrote your tunes and made your money. This way I’ve learned more about how a band actually works on a day-to-day basis.

“And we can take it at a pace that’s a little bit saner. Aside from the music and being onstage, the best part of this band is that it’s not frantic or out of control. We’re all seasoned vets so we’re trying to keep this as stressless as possible. At this point in my career I’d rather not do something if it’s not fun. I’m real fortunate in that I still get record royalties from Little Feat.”

And soon Barrere may have something new to add to his Little Feat income. The Bluesbusters have toured regularly since June and have been approached by major labels for the distribution of their second LP, which the group plans to start later this month.

Freebo says that the growing acceptance has reaffirmed his belief in the music business. “After I stopped playing with Bonnie I tried to deal with that A&R; wall,” he says of the record company artists & repertoire representatives who sign acts.

“It became frustrating because instead of playing for yourself, you’re playing for the ear of an A&R; man and you’re not sure what he wants to hear--and the unfortunate thing is he’s not sure either. You find yourself taking truth--which is art, your music--and degrading it by not being true to yourself.

“Now the A&R; people are coming to us. Lo and behold, you really can do what you want to do, and if you stick with it, hopefully the public will get to hear it. The business will follow your lead, rather than vice versa.”