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Note though that there are no poor tracks on this very listenable and impressive release. Shawn’s
feeling for the music comes through loud and clear. His main focus remains his band work, but let’s
hope he’ll treat us to sounds like these too from time to time.

Norman Darwen

(www.shawnpittman.com www.continentalrecordservices.bandcamp.com)

Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method—50—Independent

It is easy to explain the title of this, the band’s sixth album — all
three members of this Seattle-based outfit are fifty years old this
year. As such, this is a mature and considered eleven-track
album, though don’t make the mistake of thinking that means
they are putting their feet up at all. A quick listen to the blasting,
rocking ‘You Better Think’ does dispel that idea rather quickly.

So too does the remainder of the album. Polly handles vocal and
bass duties, though guitarist Dave Miller’s lead vocals are also
showcased on three tracks — I suggest you take a listen to the
slow blues of ‘Smiling’, though all three show this is not mere
altruism. Drummer Tommy Cook completes the powerful line-up.

‘Too Much Like I Care’ is a fine shuffle blues that has been released as a single and as such was

reviewed in July’s BiTS. There is a Latin tinge to the opener, and a Latin-flavoured blues in ‘Can’t
Catch Me’, though other tracks, if not strictly conventional blues as such, do certainly fall into a
modern blues bag. ‘People On The Corner’ is a good example of what I mean, whilst ‘Strange Way Of
Showing Love’ has a particularly soulful vocal by Polly—she is always a fine singer though, just to
clarify!

Another one of those sets without a poor track. Check it out!

Norman Darwen

(www.pollyokearyandtherhythmmethod.com)

Johnny Ray Jones—Way Down South—Moondogg Records

I was rather favourably impressed by Johnnie Ray’s 2017 album
“Feet Back In the Door” and this follow-up release certainly does
not disappoint. South California based singer Johnny Ray is
known as “The Godson of the Blues”—he was mentored by Sam

“Bluzman” Taylor and Tina Mayfield, Percy’s widow and Johnny’s
godmother, booked him for his first weekly shows.

It is not hard to see why either. He has a good, strong and
appropriately grizzled voice, whether he is tackling a straight
blues like Albert King’s ‘Don’t Burn Down The Bridge’, a swampy
number such as Tony Joe White’s composition ‘Steamy Windows’
(best known by Tina Turner, of course) or the same writer’s equally swampy but even bluesier
‘Tunica Motel’, or successfully (and appropriately enough) mixing wailing blues harp, New Orleans

jazz and Crescent City funk on the title track.