Back to His Old Country

Mark Isom brings his Isom County Band to the Cowboy Palace Saloon on Friday night.

Born and raised in North Carolina, with both a father and grandfather who are country and western musicians, Isom seemed a natural to follow his family’s tradition and become a C&W; performer as well.

“I grew up on country music, but I rebelled when I was 16 and went rock,” Isom said.

He moved to Los Angeles, played in a bunch of rock groups and then went to New York City to record a pop rock album. (“Bon Jovi-style music,” Isom remembers.) Isom moved to Studio City about seven years ago, still pursuing his rock ‘n’ roll dream.

About three or four years ago, the mega-success of Garth Brooks led Isom to reconsider his musical direction--and he went back to his roots.

“I got really fed up with rock and my heart did a 180,” Isom said. “And I’m so in love now with country music.”

It was like coming home. Isom grew up listening to Hank Sr., Charlie Rich, Merle Haggard, George Jones and others. His grandfather, Raymond W. Isom, played upright bass and fiddle with bluegrass legend Bill Monroe in the late 1940s. His dad, Raymond, toured throughout the South during Mark’s childhood and brought his son along as soon as he could carry a drumstick. Along the way, Mark first learned to play drums, but later picked up the guitar and the banjo as well.

His Isom County Band includes David Williams on mandolin, Russell Saunders on keyboards, Chad Clark on percussion and Brian “Chief” Cockerham on bass. All the members double on other instruments, giving the band a broad palette of bold musical colors to work with.

Isom and his band went to Nashville to record a CD that they’ve been shopping to several major labels.

“The response we’re getting is ‘We love it,’ but we haven’t had any offers yet,” Isom said. “The industry is scared to death now, because they don’t know what to do next.”

Isom even has a label for his music: “turbo country.”

“ ‘Turbo country’ mixes country with rock, bluegrass and gospel,” Isom said. “ ‘Turbo country’ is now. It’s fresh and exciting.

“We bring [to country music] a little glitz and glamour and a lot of positive energy. And then it’s kicking ya in the butt, but without being irritating. The emotions go from one extreme to the other.”

“I’m a Pisces. I’m a very emotional person,” Isom confessed.

Mark Isom and the Isom County Band play Friday night at the Cowboy Palace Saloon, 21635 Devonshire St., Chatsworth, (818) 341-0166. The Love Sick Prairie Dogs will open the show at 7 p.m. No cover.

This Weekend Eric Sardinas will be holding forth tonight at B.B. King’s in Universal City. Some people think he’s the hottest blues performer currently around. Cozy’s will present the one and only B.J. Sharp, whose music is as sharp as her wit, on Friday and music veterans Johnny Tucker and James Thomas on Saturday, while Smokin’ Johnnie’s offers up Big Blue Deville on Sunday night. If Blues is not to your liking, check out singer-songwriters Dawn Hummer and Don Connor at the Coffee Junction on Saturday.

B. B. King’s Blues Club, Universal CityWalk, 1000 Universal Center Drive, (818) 622-5464.

Cozy’s Bar & Grill, 14058 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 986-6000.

Smokin’ Johnnie’s, 11720 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 760-6631.

Coffee Junction, 19221 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, (818) 342-3405.

In Memory: Blues harmonica player Lester Butler, who performed regularly at Smokin’ Johnnie’s and other Valley clubs, died May 10. He was 38.

Butler grew up in Venice and Santa Monica. While a teenager, he was taken under the wing of the late Hollywood Fats, a.k.a. Michael Mann, who exposed the young man to his library of classic blues records. Butler first made his mark fronting the L.A.-based Red Devils in the early 1980s; they recorded tracks backing up both Mick Jagger and Johnny Cash, but none of those recordings has been released.

More recently, Butler toured Europe with his current band 13.

“Basically, I was born with a harmonica in my mouth,” Butler said last February. “I could always play the thing.”