In the book of Central Florida roots music, few figures loom as venerable and true as Skinny McGee. His longtime combo Skinny McGee & His Mayhem Makers were sterling fixtures from the storied era of the original Will’s Pub location by Loch Haven Park dating back to the early 2000s.
More than just quality, what always made him stand apart was his die-hard, almost punk commitment to deep tradition. After over a quarter-century, the modus operandi that made him a homegrown legend still lives on, only now in a new guise.
In the past year, Skinny McGee has quietly become more of a regular sight on the Mills Avenue strip than he’s been in nearly two decades. With just his longtime bandmate and harmonica dynamo Chris Bell in tow, they’ve been performing as Skinny McGee & the Handshakes. Now, the Handshakes are about to release their debut album, Chattanooga Trigger Man.
While this new guise continues McGee’s life-long devotion to the original American roots, the Handshakes lean even more country than the early rockabilly tendencies of the Mayhem Makers. Given their background and arc, it’s no surprise that McGee and Bell are now practically the spirit incarnate of Sun Records-era Johnny Cash.
From the crooning swagger to the clickety-clack basslines, the 10 songs of Chattanooga Trigger Man proudly travel the iconic tracks laid down by the Tennessee Three. In tapping the marrow of classic pre-rock country with such raw revivalism, this debut is a vivid reminder of the eternal perfection of the recipe. For the Handshakes, this touchstone isn’t a starting point — it’s the entire point. And here they keep the art form pure, distilled and unblemished by time or trend.
Chattanooga Trigger Man will release on digital platforms July 27 but is already available on blue vinyl through Skinny McGee’s website. Better yet, pick up a fresh copy this weekend at the Handshakes’ Orlando release show (7 p.m. Saturday, July 27, Lil Indie’s).
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Orlando country firebrands Skinny McGee and Chris Bell team up as The Handshakes for Lil Indie’s gig
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2024.
