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and Kim blowing his brains out and 'Part Time Love' is the Little Johnny Taylor song taken to
the country with Jack playing mandolin and 'Alcohol' is another instrumental that Jack says
he's been saving for this session.
The 'Wild Child' Butler tracks are a bit more low key than the Kim Wilson ones, with his harp
playing being more conventional and subdued, 'Run Blues Run' is a Johnson original with Jack
commenting on the current blues scene "there ain't gonna be nothing left for the real blues
players to do...". 'Aching All Over' is a nice slow blues with Butler singing and Johnson backing
him up on guitar, 'See Me Coming' is a knockabout instrumental and 'Going to Norway' is a
driving song about going to Norway to play the blues. Fans of Big Jack may want this CD as a
memento but the better record by far of his is the 'Memphis Barbecue Sessions' which remains
a wonderful way to remember this lesser-known Mississippi bluesmen.
Graham Harrison
The Jake Leg Jug Band—Live At Audley Theatre—CD Baby
ASIN B0B25MC65
The latest CD (in fact a double CD with 25 tracks) from The
Jake Leg Jug Band was recorded live at the Audley Theatre in
Staffordshire and gives a real sense of what it’s like to attend a
gig by the band. The band is Bryony-Rose (vocals &
washboard), Duncan Wilcox (vocals & double bass), Neil Hulse
(vocals & guitar), Liam Ward (vocals, harmonica & jug), Jack
Tasker (vocals, banjo & mandolin) and Alex Clarke (clarinet &
saxophone). Although they are a jug band their repertoire is
varied in that it includes jazz, blues, gospel, ragtime and good
old hokum and while it’s all very entertaining don't be fooled, there is also excellent
musicianship here. We also get variety in that the band have five (count 'em) five different
vocalists.
The songs featured here include risqué songs like 'I Had To Give Up Gym' and 'My Pencil Won't
Write No More', more popular songs like 'Who's Sorry Now' and 'Sugar In My Bowl' as well as
jug band favourites 'On The Road Again' and 'He's In The Jailhouse Now'. Another risqué song
is 'Hot Nuts' recorded by Lil Johnson in 1936 and also done for many years by George Melly, as
was 'Kitchen Man' originally recorded by Bessie Smith. The version of 'St. James Infirmary'
here is very slow and dramatic with some lovely sax breaks from Alex and the old Ida Cox
blues song 'Fogyism' is delivered beautifully by Bryony-Rose with Alex and Liam trading licks
behind her. All in all this is a terrific piece of work by the band that is entertaining throughout
but also has lots of variety and balances the more light-hearted numbers with fine authentic
old timey playing that perfectly recreates the music of the 20s and 30s.
Graham Harrison