Big Sandy and Boys Play From the Heart

Sure, the Anaheim-based sextet draws from a bygone era. But it is a wealth of rich American roots music, along with first-rate musicianship, quality lyricism, hummable melodies and a warm sense of humor that has carried Robert “Big Sandy” Williams and his boys to a creatively lofty perch.

These timeless virtues were in abundance Friday night at the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana, where Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys tore it up with their usual aplomb, finesse and vitality.

The sextet played with both remarkable precision and an adventurous spirit. Led by Big Sandy’s creamy vocals, the twangy line of steel guitarist Lee Jeffriess and the dazzling piano of Carl Sonny Leyland, the band flexed its muscle freely and often, roaming from pure rockabilly rave-ups (“Booze Party” and “Yama Yama Pretty Mama”) to energizing jump blues (“Jump From Six to Six” and “Honky Tonk Queen”) to slow-burning ballads (“Loser’s Blues” and “If I Knew”).

The newest band member, the versatile Leyland, not only has a firm grip on styles ranging from Kansas City boogie-woogie and Chicago blues to New Orleans’ second-line, he brings a Jerry Lee Lewis-like charisma to the stage. An ideal counterpoint to the low-key, if affable, Big Sandy, Leyland is a source of perpetual energy, frequently kicking over his piano stool as if it were an unwelcome anchor.

Among the show’s numerous highlights were two songs drawn from the band’s splendid new six-song EP, “Radio Favorites.” The tongue-in-cheek, tropical-flavored “Mystery to Me” found Big Sandy stretching his vocal range as he held on to key syllables before letting them gently roll off his tongue.

A rockabilly lover’s delight, the rollicking “I Can’t Believe I’m Saying This to You” featured Ashley Kingman’s menacing guitar line and Big Sandy’s vocal dropping to a deeper register.

It’s easy to take Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys for granted. With the possible exception of the kinetic Leyland, they offer little in the way of razzle-dazzle. There are no elaborate stage props or gimmicks. Instead, this still-evolving local treasure serves to remind us that playing traditional music--with a reverence for the past but an eye on the future--can yield great rewards.

The only disappointing aspect of Friday night’s otherwise excellent 90-minute program was its abrupt end. Presumably because of the late hour, fans were seen heading to the exits during “Feelin’ Kinda Lucky,” which--with no encore forthcoming--turned out to be the evening’s final number.

Veteran local act Mystery Train opened the concert with a solid, wide-ranging mix of rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll and socially conscious protest songs. Clean-sounding and inspired, lead singer-guitarist Michael Ubaldini, bassist Tom Slik and drummer Rob Klonel cranked out some high-octane tunes, including the propulsive “Tear It Up,” the film noir-like “Jean Harlow” and the bluesy, libidinal “Scratch My Back.”

As a solo project, the Fountain Valley-based Ubaldini has released “Acoustic Rumble,” one of this year’s finest independent releases. Two of the more stirring selections were pulled from it and played solo by Ubaldini.

“Badge of Freedom” and “The Seventh Trumpet” attacked corruption and greed in a fame-seeking culture, where Ubaldini asserts, “If you want to be a celebrity/just commit a heinous crime.” Although both songs are polemics, his potent delivery--fueled by anger and disillusionment--seemed genuine and made a lasting impression.

Second-billed Rumble King, however, offered a glaring example of all that is wrong with the horde of today’s wannabe swing bands.

Fronted by the smart-alecky Aaron Deily on vocals and piano, this Inland Empire quintet showed no feel for the art and innovation that made Duke Ellington and Jimmy Dorsey really swing. After a torturous, cliche-filled 50-minute set, the only question left unanswered was which was more painful to endure--the band’s soulless music or its hipster attitude.