The CD Woodbury Trio

CD 3 Bulldog

Independent

Clint “CD” Woodbury is a rare find. He is a multi-talented guitarist, a versatile vocalist, and a crafty songwriter who has been thriving in the Pacific Northwest blues scene for years. He has earned numerous honors from the Washington Blues Society, including seven nominations in the 2026 Best of the Blues Awards and induction into its Hall of Fame in 2022. Woodbury’s two previous studio albums, “Monday Night!” and “World’s Gone Crazy,” both charted on international independent radio. Over the years, he has performed with countless artists, evolving from a highly valued sideman into the leader of his own band. His trio blends gritty blues with rock, jazz, New Orleans grooves, and roots influences, creating a rich sonic tapestry.

Rounding out the trio and anchoring the band’s deep grooves is Robert Baker, a veteran Northwest bassist, vocalist, and recording engineer. A respected figure in the local scene, Baker’s contributions bring depth, feel, and musical intuition that help define the group’s rhythmic foundation. On drums is Bill Ray, who has more than 150 recording credits, most notably as a longtime member of Ike Turner’s band. Additional musicians include harmonica players Bill Davis and Joel Astley, Mike Marinig on flute, and Jonathan Sayre on drums. With this latest album, “Bulldog,” the trio unleashes its collective talents across a finely crafted set of three smart originals and eight inventive covers, moving easily from power-trio intensity to countrified acoustic blues.

Guitarist CD Woodbury opens the session with “Wicked Grin,” written by Michael Pickett and Gary Nicholson and originally performed by Pickett. It is a mean and menacing blues number about a man whose “wicked grin” signals his desire to avenge his wronged woman with a razor, as he sings “”.

Woodbury’s guitar becomes even more muscular on Born Under a Bad Sign, originally recorded by Albert King in 1967, and he keeps its spirit alive throughout this classic performance. “Little Sister,” written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, follows, recalling the single first released by Elvis Presley in 1961.

“I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me),” written by Barri, Omartian, Price, and Walsh, was first recorded by Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland in 1974. “Gaslight Road” is the first of the three originals written by Woodbury, a sharp commentary on modern deception, as he chimes, “You say it didn’t happen, you tell me to let it slide said ‘who you gonna believe, me or your own lying eyes, ’cause we’re livin’ on gaslight road…where the truth goes to die”.

Woodbury also captures the lyrical edge of Politician by Cream, delivering the line, “I support the left, though I’m leaning to the right, just don’t try to find me, if there should be a fight”. “Dollar Store Readers,” an original co-written by Woodbury and Michele D’Amour, is a down-home acoustic gem that casts a wry eye on cheap reading glasses, complete with their “birth control frames, he’s got the far-sighted, fuzzy eyed, dollar store reading glasses blues”.

Woodbury then transforms I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown into a jazz-inflected interlude laced with harmonica from Bill Davis, carrying the familiar phrase, “Nice, like sugar and spice”. From there, he delivers a guitar-driven update of Spoonful, the Willie Dixon classic, with flute from Mike Marinig, another nod to Cream, who also famously covered the tune.

Woodbury’s guitar and Joel Astley’s harmonica create a musical duet on a swinging take of Mark Dufresne’s “A Song in There,” a tune about the process of writing a song itself. On the closer, “(Call Me The) Bulldog,” the last of the originals, Woodbury barks out the blues with bite, singing, “swagger in my step and a face only a mother could love. Got a bark like thunder, ain’t afraid to bite the hand I’m thinkin’ of”.

This is vibrant contemporary blues and roots music. Woodbury’s technical mastery consistently elevates the band’s performances, while the trio’s versatility keeps the album lively, grounded, and fully engaging.

Richard Ludmerer

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