(Blues) VA - Jock's Juke Joint (Contemporary Blues From Scotland) Vol.1 & 2 - 2012, MP3, 320 kbps

There’s the fine whisky soaked vocals of Stevey Hay and Paul Muir, the grit and smoulder of Laura May Gibson and Helen Turner. Hear the classic electric guitar playing of Al Brown and Iain Gibney and the blues slide of Lewis Hamilton and Gus Munro. There’s the acoustic country picking of Sleepy Eyes Nelson and Lovat “Houndog” Fraser contrasting with the harder edged blues-rock of Gerry Jablonski and Willie Logan. There are wailing harmonicas by Fraser Speirs and Paul Montague, Kirk Lothian’s Hammond organ, honky-tonk piano by Richard Young and Craig Arnott and Kenny Miller’s jungle beat. The Yahs boogie, while Ruff Cut shuffle; hear Frank O’Hagan’s respite from academia, Dana Dixon’s tender ballad and Gary Martin’s love song. Whatever your taste in blues, there is something to appeal on this CD.Prior to its release, the CD has already garnered international interest, and Paul Jones from BBC Radio 2 has stated he is “eagerly looking forward to receiving this very significant album”. Dave Arcari has written about the CD, “it’s great to see a wide range of original blues and blues based material coming from a fantastic bunch of Scottish artists, who will no doubt make their presence known further afield.
REVIEW:
Scotland’s status as a breeding ground for the best blues talent is assured through Jock’s Juke Joint: Contemporary Blues from Scotland Vol 1, the first of an intended trilogy of compilations. The breadth of talent is just as impressive on Volume 1 with blue-chip, or should it be “blues-chip” performances from Stevey Hay, Albany Down, and Frank O’Hagan.However, standing out like a colossus is Gerry Jablonski, a man who makes Joe Bonamassa sound like Andy Williams. Gerry and The Electric Band put in a breathtaking performance of “Higher They Climb” with one of the most pulsating and memorable riffs since Alvin Lee’s “Love Like A Man.” The slick changes in tempo, enigmatic vocals, mesmeric harmonica, incendiary guitar solo, thunderous bass, and torrential drumming make this the best blues-rock track in recent years. But this is no one-man show, with Stevey Hay’s Shades of Blue setting the tone of the album with a boogie blast reminiscent of Canned Heat’s ‘”On The Road Again,” with Hay and Neil Warden showing their skills as swashbuckling axemen. Albany Down’s “South Of The City” is electrifying, with Paul Muir’s impassioned vocals and Paul Turney’s piercing guitar. On “You Can’t Hang,” Laura-May Gibson, with The Bel-Airs, proves she has a voice that could distil whisky.
“Walk Away’ by The Jensen Interceptors is a beautifully sung ballad with some neat harp playing by vocalist Gary Martin and soothing background Hammond from Kirk Lothian. Lewis Hamilton and the Boogie Brothers are a power trio who, on the poignant “Empty Roads,” highlight the importance of a tight rhythm section when backing such a versatile and unique vocalist and guitarist. “Fallin’ For Foolin’” by The Bare Bones Boogie Band is late-night, smoldering jazz/blues, dripping with emotion thanks to Helen Turner’s powerful, intense vocals and the evocative atmosphere created by Iain Black on guitar.The three acoustic solo performances are all well crafted and a credit to the accomplished musicianship of Gus Munro (“Fever”), Sleepy Eyes Nelson (“Blonde Snapper”), and Lovat Houndog Fraser (“The Kingdom’s Empty Halls”). Willie Logan’s “Nodully” is a duet which sounds like a full band and is one of the most skillfully produced tracks on the album. The Yahs’ “Keep On Going” highlights the fact that blues can encompass a broad church, including more popular styles of music whilst retaining the feelings and integrity associated with the genre.A personal favourite of mine is “School For The Blues” by The Frank O’Hagan Band, a deceptively effortless singer surrounded by great musicians, including the legendary Fraser Speirs. Dana Dixon, fresh from the Harvest Blues Festival in Ireland, enhances her band’s reputation further with the mellifluous “Let You People Know.” Paul Montague’s harmonica playing on Missing Cat’s “For The Loss Of It” is a real blast and a good enough reason in itself for buying the CD. “The Traveller” is a pleasant ballad by Dead Men’s Shoes showcasing Craig Arnott’s vocal and keyboard talents, and the hard-hitting “My Friend My 44″ by Ruff Cut does exactly what it says on the tin with Dave Bradshaw’s gravelly vocals and Mick Quinn’s rock-hard drumming.~~Dave Scott (contributing writer at Blueswax)This is the second release of the top Scottish blues talent following the highly acclaimed first volume, universally rated as one of the best compilations made in 2012, taking the listener on a roller coaster ride of blues styles and emotions. However, Volume 2 can now claim this accolade because it is even better, not least because of the sensational collaboration between Scots harp legend Fraser Speirs and young gun Lewis Hamilton. The instrumental “There You Are Now” is reminiscent of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee at their peak, albeit in mellow mood, with harmonica and guitar in perfect synergy. Another key factor contributing to the brilliance of the second volume is the continuing theme of superb harmonica playing on most of the 18 tracks. One of the leading exponents of this instrument is Richard Young, an Englishman now residing in Scotland, whose “Confidence Man” is a tour de force performance. Other harp giants include the Blues ‘n’ Trouble frontman Tim Elliott (“Try Anything Twice”), Danny Williams of The Kennel Wages (“Fighting Over You”), Ali Davies from The Binsness Bluesboys (“Crawdad Hole”), and Cameron Grey, who accompanies the excellent Jed Potts and the Hillman Hunters on”Don’t Tell Me.” Potts is a versatile guitarist who sounds like he was born in the Mississippi Delta but is also an accomplished folk musician with the renowned Jake Cogan Band.Further high spots include Alan Sutherland’s piano playing on Wang Dang Delta’s “Shutting Out The World,” the earthy vocals of Cynthia Gentle’s “You Just Can’t Win” accompanied by the subtle rhythms of The Truetones, and John Alexander’s acoustic slide guitar and fingerpicking on “Nowhere To Go.” Folk-blues is represented by the eight-piece band The Black Diamond Express, swing from Baby Isaac, and old-school R&B courtesy of The Blueswater. Then there are the cool licks and hot riffs of The Lynsey Dolan Band, the soulful acoustics of Hot Tin Roof, and the unique progressive blues of Earl Grey and the Loose Leaves. The 4 Als, including guitarists Nimmo and Brown, and multi-talented Dougie Burns represent the long-serving stalwarts whilst Leah Gourley is the promising newcomer.And within this variety lies the beauty and power of this entirely original offering, a surprise package and cornucopia of contemporary blues artists discovered by respected journalist Duncan Beattie on his travels. The CD has been lovingly produced by Lewis Hamilton whose father Nick takes the credit for the professional and creative photography and lay out. All in all, Jock’s Juke Joint is an important concept which shows how the genre is thriving in Scotland as the indomitable spirit of luminaries such as the late Tam White, Frankie Miller, Maggie Bell, Ian Anderson, and Jack Bruce lives on within the country’s contemporary blues scene. Indeed, it is far more than that as each of the current generation of bluesmen and women represented here adds a fresh, distinctive and innovative approach and sound which is widening the appeal of the blues in the 21st century by taking it in a new direction.
~~Dave Scott