Before Berkeley’s Kermit Lynch was a big-time wine importer, he was a small-time musician in a band called The Roaches that fancied the Grateful Dead, Country Joe and the Fish, and Jefferson Airplane as compatriots. He didn’t make it as a musician then, but some 35 year’s later he’s getting his shot at music again, thanks to some well-placed connections and a lack of knowing when to give up. In 2005 he released an album called Quicksand Blues, which he’s recently followed up with a sophomore effort called Man’s Temptation. Due out September 22 on Dualtone, Grub Street got ahold of an early copy and gave it a listen.
While we’re happy Lynch gets to pursue his musical passion now that he’s friends with Boz Scaggs (a customer at the wine shop who got him back into the recording studio), we’re much happier he got sidetracked into the wine business. Despite songs like Gare de Lyon, which sends up the French as “fine, with their frogs’ legs and wine,” we seriously doubt that Lynch would have received the Legion of Honor for his music the way he did for his wine business. Still, you may want to pay attention to this album, if only to make the release party, which we hear will be catered by Alice Waters.
