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standard was really high, Jimbo Mathus' 'Searchlight' is a rocking Chicago blues track with wailing
harp and guitar, with Jim's rolling piano in the background. 'Oh Lord, Don’t Let Them Drop That
Atom Bomb on Me' is a lovely slow blues based around Jim's piano with his vocals sounding like
Roosevelt Sykes and Luther throws in a nice slide guitar solo, while 'Hams and Greens' is a loping
jug band number with Jimbo on vocals and everyone else following on lazily behind.

The ensemble rip through Junior Wells' 'Messin' with the Kid' and Charlie's 'Black Water' is a laid

back trance blues while Alvin's 'If Blues Was Money' sounds like it was recorded in the 1930s. 'Can’t
Stand to See You Go' is the old Jimmy Reed track featuring Jim on vocals and piano, 'Blue Guitar' is
an instrumental on the theme of 'You Shook Me' and we finish with another slow blues - 'Blues Is a
Mighty Bad Feeling' - again with Jim up front. I was pleasantly surprised by this album, it is every
bit as good as volume one, which should have come as no great surprise really given the talent of
the people involved. It is very much an ensemble project and the participants do make a really good
band together but I would have liked to have heard Luther Dickinson's guitar featured more.

Graham Harrison

Jane Pearl—Misfit Pearl and the Odd Fellows—577950 Records
ASIN: B08XK1623N

Jane Pearl is originally from Kentucky but has lived in the Wild

West of Gloucestershire for many years before recently moving
back to the States. She's played in a variety of bands in a variety
of styles without ever really finding a unit that could make the

most of her talents as a powerful singer and a versatile
songwriter. She ended up backing herself on ukulele and various
wind instruments including harmonica and exotic modified

kazoos.

We get off to a great start with 'The Barnyard Dance' a catchy melodic mariachi song with

humorous lyrics, 'Wildcat' is a bluesy song with slide guitar and harmonica and 'My Coffee Cup' is a
nice sad country ballad with nice fiddle. More fiddle on 'You Can Talk To Me' a ballad that blends
country and Celtic influences, 'Can't Die Young' is a heavier blues rock song with Hammond organ

while 'Boom Boom Boom' is a more acoustic bluesy song with slide guitar and harmonica. 'Escape
To The Country' is a catchy rocker, 'Hold Every Minute' is a lovely melodic country song with fiddle
and steel guitar that reminded me of a song that Bonnie Raitt might sing and 'Tik Tok' is a

thoughtful song about time passing (not about the computer app!) I thought that this was a really
good record that shows off Jane's talent as both a singer and a songwriter, there's lots of variety
here and the band play their part in providing great accompaniment without detracting from Jane

herself.

Graham Harrison