GARY CLARK,JR.

fine rock ‘n’ roll over distortion-drenched
guitars, albeit with plenty of randy camp
lyrics for his listeners’ delectation.
Then there’s the political stuff that
rounds out Redux. Whether by design or
coincidence, the last five songs of the
album key on issues of social/political
inequality (“Fear Itself,” and “Home I
Love”), corporate greed (“Black Gold”),
and America’s déclassé status (“By
George,” and “U.S. Blues Again”) in their
lyrics. Predictably, the agitprop nature of
the material flattens the mood considerably.
Then again, I warned you it was quirky.
– Tony Del Rey
52 BLUES REVUE
JW-JONES
Seventh Hour
Factor
The cover shot on Seventh Hour, the latest
release from Canadian bluesman JW-Jones,
could come straight from the pages of an up
market fashion magazine. Jones is pictured
in a slim fit suit, guitar in hand, looking indestructible
as a beautiful girl crumples the
bonnet of her car on an immovable force.
Sophisticated artwork for a stylish album.
For his 2010 release, Midnight In
Memphis, Jones recorded at Sun Studios.
This follow up was recorded in a slightly
less historic location; Jones's living room.
Here Jones and his band, keyboardist
Jesse Whitely, drummer Jeff Asselin, and
bassist Marc Decho, have produced ten
tracks of mostly original material that is
clearly based in blues, that isn't afraid to
wander into country or rockabilly territory,
and, despite the retro feel throughout, certainly
doesn't feel the need to conform to
any identikit blues formulas.
In fact the stand out track, “In A
Song,” is barely a blues and could just be
the kind of song to get Jones airplay on
channels that normally go nowhere near
the music; all heartfelt vocals, echoed riff
and heavy drumbeats. And the song's strap
line, “I guess you'll end up in a song,” gives
a big clue to the lyrical theme of most of the
rest of the album. “Ain't Gonna Beg” is a
soulful look at love that hasn't happened;
“Let It Go” is about being in love against
your better judgment; “All Over Again” is a
Memphis groove which has Jones singing
about re-discovered love; and “Heartbreaker”
is a slice of steel guitar driven
rockabilly about slightly more transient relationships.
Even Little Milton’s “I’m Tryin’” is
about a love that can’t be forgotten. “You
Got Caught” is the antidote to all of this
though; the kind of love gone bad tale that
Robert Cray specializes in.
All in all this is an excellent listen.
There is plenty enough to keep Jones's
long time fans happy, and plenty enough to
lure in new listeners including, with luck,
those that would not normally start at the
blues. Give it a listen.
– Chris Kerslake
LINSEY ALEXANDER
Been There Done That
Delmark
When Chicago bluesman Linsey Alexander
says he’s “been there, done that,” as the
title of his debut Delmark album would suggest,
you know he means business.
Alexander cut his teeth on the gritty South
side of Chicago for decades, but for the last
fifteen years, he’s been wowing crowds on
the North side of the Windy City at upper
scale hangouts like Buddy Guy’s Legends,
Kingston Mines, Blue Chicago, and
B.L.U.E.S.
The first thing you notice when you
listen to Alexander’s new CD is his commanding
vocal prowess. This guy can
really sing the blues. He’s got that same
gritty, soulful growl that another blues guy
by the name of B.B. King exhibits when
he’s strutting his stuff.
The second thing you notice after
spinning Alexander’s new disc is that he
has a real knack for putting pen to paper.
His songs are culled from personal experience
while remaining broad enough for
everyone to relate to. He’s not inventing
lyrics; he’s lived them. Great songwriting
doesn’t get better than that.
The third thing you realize after listening
to Been There Done That is that Alexander
knows how to play his beautiful, flame
top Gibson ES-335. His electrifying rhythm
work and stinging guitar solos drive the
songs like a new Rolls Royce and will satisfy
all fans of electric blues guitar.
Accompanied by a host of top shelf
Chicago blues players like up-and-coming
guitarist Mike Wheeler, harmonica master
Billy Branch, keyboard ace Roosevelt Purifoy,
and horn players Ryan Nyther on trumpet
and Bryan Fritz on saxophone, Linsey
Alexander and his band were red hot for
these sessions.
Tracks of note include the funky
groove of “Bad Man,” featuring guitar
slinger “Breezy” Rodio on six strings
(whose guitar solo is reminiscent of the
late, Albert Collins), the R&B swagger of
the album’s title track “Been There Done
That,” the bluesy lament “I Had A Dream”
highlighted by some slick guitar picking by
Alexander, Willie Kent’s well-penned
“Looks Like It’s Going To Rain,” the infectious
riffs of “Going Back To My Old Time
Used To Be,” the testimonial humor of “Big
Woman,” and a reverent tip of the hat to
blues master Robert Johnson in “Saving
Robert Johnson.”
Linsey Alexander may be one of
Chicago’s favorite sons, but when the rest
of the world hears Been There Done That,
they’re going to want a piece of him too.
– Brian M. Owens