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Other tracks tend towards a classic southern rock approach – take a listen to ‘Ride Of Your Life’.
‘Lucky Ones’ is the album’s longest track, almost five and a half minutes, and not easily
classifiable, other than “roots”, and ‘Call It What You Will’ and the closing ‘Fly On Love’ are
perhaps best described as Americana with a country twang and just the slightest hint of a gospel
tinge.

Certainly an interested and varied set…
Norman Darwen

Jan James—Time Bomb—Blue Palace BPR33318
(www.janJames.com)

Singer Jan James started playing with guitarist Craig Calvert
whilst they were both at Michigan State University some decades
ago, and they still play together, as on this set. They later became
features on the Chicago blues scene, and Jan has played Janis
Joplin in the play “Love, Janis”. Her first album under her own
name, “Last Train”, was picked up by Provogue; many more have
followed, and she enjoys a strong following on this side of the
pond.

The opening track of this release is the bright and breezy, catchy soul song, ‘Swingin’ In The
Sweet Sunshine’, something of a potential summer anthem – at least for the blues radio stations,
anyway. Several songs on the album focus on current events though; the uncompromising and
direct ‘Blood On Your Hands’ – directed at a certain ex-president, and with a vocal tone a little
reminiscent of some of Bob Dylan’s most scathing material - is about the 6th January attack on
The Capitol in Washington DC, and ‘Desperate Times’ has a slinky, bluesy, soul groove
juxtaposed with the lyric concern of finding a way though today’s mess. Then there is the

positive message of the soulful, uplifting ‘Let Love Surround You’, and the Hendrix-inflected
blues of the closing ‘Always The Blues’.

Musically, this is a fine modern blues set, with diversions into soul and rock at times – and some
nice sax playing by Brian Gephart in places too, though none of the musicians involved are less
than excellent. And as for Jan herself, her performance is excellent throughout of course…

Norman Darwen

Jeff Pitchell—Playin’ With My Friends—Deguello Records
DG2174

After winning Connecticut’s ‘The Best Guitarist’ competition at
the age of fifteen, Jeff determinedly set out upon a career in
music. Now, years later and after garnering many awards and
plaudits, he has decided to record this, his ninth album, with a
plethora of friends and colleagues, who include the likes of;
Duane Betts, Charles Neville, Claudette King, J. Geils, Rick
Derringer, Christine Ohlam and Tyrone Vaughan. For this
thirteen track album of originals and covers J.P. is on lead vocals
and lead guitar with a very fluid backing line-up including; Wolf
Ginandes and Mike Nunno; bass, with Floyd Murphy Jr., Marty Richards and Ephraim Lowell
on drums, at its core.