Holmstrom’s Appeal Is Elementary

One has to presume Rick “L.A. Holmes” Holmstrom had his tongue planted firmly in cheek when he titled his new solo release “Gonna Get Wild.” Even though the lead guitarist of Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers does let loose on occasion, he more typically is a model of restraint, choosing to communicate with a minimum of flash.

In other words, just because Holmstrom can, doesn’t mean he will crank up the wattage and unleash Stevie Ray Vaughan-like solo after solo. Rather, his musical identity springs from establishing a distinctive tone.

“I do pay real particular attention to tone,” Holmstrom said by phone from an L.A. recording studio, where he’s producing an album by San Diego-based guitarist Eric Lieberman. If you listen to a Pee Wee Crayton, T-Bone Walker, Lester Young . . . guitar or sax players . . . it doesn’t matter, it’s the tone. That’s the big thing because I hear someone like that and I immediately know who it is.

“A big part of my own tone is not overplaying or overwhelming the listener,” he added. “Now, sometimes you have to drive your amp hard to get some distortion, like on my new CD’s title track. But even there, I’m talking about a warmer, low-wattage kind of thing.”

The Venice-based Holmstrom, who performs with Piazza & the Mighty Flyers Saturday at the Blue Cafe in Long Beach, also prefers short songs, something that is atypical of contemporary blues. In fact, the average song length on Gonna Get Wild” (Tone Cool Records) is about 3 1/2 minutes.

“Sometimes you have to prove yourself by what you don’t [play],” said Holmstrom, who turns 35 next month. “Some of the blues [tunes] you hear on the radio last six, seven, eight minutes . . . that’s just too long. Listen to ‘Blues After Hours’ by Pee Wee Crayton--or any classic, cool song from the ‘40s or ‘50s--and you’ll find they’re all around three minutes.

“I don’t always reach that kind of brevity, but I try for it because I think it has the most impact. If you can’t say what you want to say in that amount of time, then you probably shouldn’t be saying it. Extraneous solos are self-indulgent and ultimately serve only to bore the audience.”

That minimalist approach suits Holmstrom’s songwriting style as well. Although offering nothing fancy with an eye on relationship ups and downs, he wrote or co-wrote every track on “Gonna Get Wild.” He believes original material is the true measuring stick of one’s standing in the blues community.

“I try not to over-think songs. . . . I prefer simple, direct words that come from my own personal experience, that ring true to me,” he said. “I won’t sing about working on a plantation or political things, like the war in Bosnia. I’ll leave that to the folk singers who can do it well.

“You know, the blues wasn’t an art form when it started. It was Lightnin’ Hopkins sitting around with a couple of drunk buddies trying to forget about that day’s work.

“You learn the chops and the vocabulary of the idiom, and that’s all fine,” he continued. “But when you get your own thing going and establish a voice, that’s when them old cats pat you on the back and say, ‘Hey, man, you’re doing it now.’ ”

While growing up in Fairbanks, Alaska, Holmstrom was introduced to music through his father’s records, a disc jockey’s collection ranging from Muddy Waters to Buddy Holly to the Ventures. Holmstrom remembers his father’s affinity for roots music, typified by his comment about the rock guitar playing they heard on the radio: “That’s nothing more than a Bo Diddley or Chuck Berry riff.”

Holmstrom left for Southern California in 1983 to earn a business degree from the University of Redlands. He played in a garage-type blues band as a senior and after graduation, became immersed in the Southland blues scene, frequenting blues clubs in L.A. such as the Pioneer Club, Babe & Rick’s and the Pure Pleasure Lounge. In those clubs he fell in love with the sounds of Junior Watson and Smokey Wilson, among others.

In the late ‘80s, Holmstrom caught a break and gained valuable experience by touring with harmonica ace William Clarke. After collaborating on Chicago harpist Billy Boy Arnold’s “Back Where I Belong” (Alligator Records, 1993), a partnership with former Delta blues harpist Johnny Dyer followed that resulted in two albums for Black Top Records: “Listen Up!” (1994) and “Shake It!” (1995).

Holmstrom had also worked with Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, subbing occasionally for guitarist Alex Shultz and playing on three new tracks for the 1992 CD “Heartburn.” When Shultz left the band in ‘95, Holmstrom became his permanent replacement.

While he’s carved out time for two solo projects--his latest and the all-instrumental “Lookout!” (Black Top, 1996)--Holmstrom remains enthusiastic about his ensemble playing in the Mighty Flyers, the hard-working, long-running jump blues and swing band that also features vocalist-harmonica player Piazza, his piano-playing wife, Honey, bassist Bill Stuve and drummer Steve Mugalian.

“I came up playing behind people, and I enjoy backing Rod--he’s an amazing showman and is at the top of his game as a harpist,” Holmstrom said. He’s a true professional, and it’s a challenge for me to play up to his level. Yet at the same time, we’re all close and have a heck of a lot of fun.”

Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers were honored last year with a W.C. Handy Award for Blues Band of the Year. And that meant a lot to the band members.

“In blues circles, it’s like someone winning an Oscar or Grammy in that you gain a little more credibility, play more festivals and start earning a little better money,” Holmstrom said. “It’s kind of funny, though, because you’re instantly a little better than you were the day before--even though you’re not.”

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Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers play Saturday at the Blue Cafe, 210 Promenade, Long Beach. 9:30 p.m. $10. (562) 983-7111.