Son Jack Jr. & Michael Wilde

Son Jack Jr. is still alive! Singer/songwriter/gitarist Son Jack Jr. lives in Seattle, WA. And has one great passion: the blues and mainly Delta Blues. In fact he grew up in London and played the guitar since the age of 9. Late in the 70s, early 80s he was continuously on tour but retreated from the music scene in 1983. But now, after 24 years, he is back with his debut ‘Introducing… Son Jack Jr’, earlier published in 2006, and now ‘when the devil calls’. An unforeseen comeback by the man who proves with his National Resphonic and Martin guitars that he still knows how to play the guitar, and he gained in songwriting. Inspired by the guitar of (amongs others) Skip James and Blind Willie Johnnson, we see why tracks like Skip James’ ‘devil got my woman’ and Blind Wille johnson’s ‘soul of a man’ could not be missing on this record, also Eddie Vinson’s ‘Cleanhead Blues’ may be the highlight of this surprising CD. 13 Tracks made it to ‘When the Devil Calls’, 10 of which written by Son Jack Jr himself. As a whole this reminds you off the good old blues, a mix of inspirations by prewar blues masters, giving Son Jack Jr ample room to slide and finger pick. He plays calmly and sensitive, but is absolutely not aggressive anywhere, like in the opening tracks ‘ I’m Son Jack Jr’ and ‘ Dance of the Living Dead’, songs that set the tone for the full record. Personally I find, next to the appropriately named and rocking ‘Dance of the Living Dead’ the calm old time country picking ‘If I Should Fall’, the guitar heavy ‘north wind’, the songs ‘it could be worse’ and the instrumental ‘The Lynching tree’ that respectively could be written by Fred McDowell and Skip James, the most outstanding tracks on this album, songs where Son Jack Jr proves to be also an outstanding song writer. ‘When the Devil Calls’ is not something to party on, to the contrary, Son Jack Jr knows how to hold your attention, that much is certain. Moreover, he makes you shiver. His beautiful voice, his perfectly timed licks and his never ceasing love for the Mississippi Delta amaze me. To summarize: Welcome back, Son Jack Jr! Back with an album where his own songs impressed me from the first time I listened to them. He lives and tells the blues as he experiences them himself. Uncut blues in its purest form, passionate and full of life set the sound of when the devil calls. - Freddy Celis

Son Jack Jr. is still alive! Singer/songwriter/gitarist Son Jack Jr. lives in Seattle, WA. And has one great passion: the blues and mainly Delta Blues. In fact he grew up in London and played the guitar since the age of 9. Late in the 70s, early 80s he was continuously on tour but retreated from the music scene in 1983. But now, after 24 years, he is back with his debut ‘Introducing… Son Jack Jr’, earlier published in 2006, and now ‘when the devil calls’. An unforeseen comeback by the man who proves with his National Resphonic and Martin guitars that he still knows how to play the guitar, and he gained in songwriting. Inspired by the guitar of (amongs others) Skip James and Blind Willie Johnnson, we see why tracks like Skip James’ ‘devil got my woman’ and Blind Wille johnson’s ‘soul of a man’ could not be missing on this record, also Eddie Vinson’s ‘Cleanhead Blues’ may be the highlight of this surprising CD. 13 Tracks made it to ‘When the Devil Calls’, 10 of which written by Son Jack Jr himself. As a whole this reminds you off the good old blues, a mix of inspirations by prewar blues masters, giving Son Jack Jr ample room to slide and finger pick. He plays calmly and sensitive, but is absolutely not aggressive anywhere, like in the opening tracks ‘ I’m Son Jack Jr’ and ‘ Dance of the Living Dead’, songs that set the tone for the full record. Personally I find, next to the appropriately named and rocking ‘Dance of the Living Dead’ the calm old time country picking ‘If I Should Fall’, the guitar heavy ‘north wind’, the songs ‘it could be worse’ and the instrumental ‘The Lynching tree’ that respectively could be written by Fred McDowell and Skip James, the most outstanding tracks on this album, songs where Son Jack Jr proves to be also an outstanding song writer. ‘When the Devil Calls’ is not something to party on, to the contrary, Son Jack Jr knows how to hold your attention, that much is certain. Moreover, he makes you shiver. His beautiful voice, his perfectly timed licks and his never ceasing love for the Mississippi Delta amaze me. To summarize: Welcome back, Son Jack Jr! Back with an album where his own songs impressed me from the first time I listened to them. He lives and tells the blues as he experiences them himself. Uncut blues in its purest form, passionate and full of life set the sound of when the devil calls. - Freddy Celis

Son Jack Jr. lives in Seattle, Washington and hails from London, England—as www.sonjackjr.com so aptly puts it: ”Delta Blues. The Real Deal.”

Well, yeah, but don’t be alarmed: he sure can play, and apart from many other deals of the 21st century, has developed a genuinely distinctive style of acoustic blues playing that mixes the real-real deal with folkish/rockish influences in a manner most pleasing to the ear.

Many reviewers before me have praised Son Jack Jr.’s ”beautiful voice” and ”highly original songwriting”; unable to resist the opportunity to pick another fight with the world, I must say that the tracks that most impressed me on ”When The Devil Calls” were the Graham/Jansch-like instrumental ”The Lynching Tree” and the covers of Eddie Cleanhead Vinson’s ”Cleanhead Blues” and Blind Willie Johnson’s ”Soul Of A Man”.

To start from the latter: if a guy can pull off a man-and-his-guitar arrangement of such an oft-covered piece and remind me of Jimi’s backward-looped rhythms on ”Are You Experienced?” instead of Chris Thomas King in a Wim Wenders feature, he clearly knows what he is doing. Never all that popular with the long-hair guitar camp, ”Cleanhead Blues” has long been a favourite of mine—it’s great to finally hear a country blues version, and even if Mr. Jack’s vocal abilities are not quite on a par with the famed sax player’s, his stripped-down arrangement is delightful, his delivery heartfelt.

There is one more cover among the 13 tracks on the album, Skip James’ ”Devil Got My Woman”. Of the rest, the instrumental and compositional prowess displayed on ”The Lynching Tree” easily steals the show, while Son Jack Jr. the singer-songwriter seems at his best on sparse tearjerkers like ”If I Should Fall”. I must admit I’m still having slight difficulties grasping the wealth of meaning behind lines such as ”I’m Son Jack Jr., now you know what I mean” on the musically excellent ”I’m Son Jack Jr.”, but hey Bo Diddley—it’s certainly comforting to know that at least Mr. Jack’s ”goldfish is good, so it could be worse” (”It Could Be Worse”).

Depending on your personal preferences, this may be a positive or a negative thing, but it must be said that on the whole and from the sleeve design down, ”When The Devil Calls” exhibits two tendencies symptomatic of ”modern” blues: exploring the days of old for subject matter, and stressing the grave seriousness of the whole sordid business. Luckily, the first does not reach the extreme escapism that rules most of today’s metal scene, and the latter is not quite as overwhelming as with certain other, err, British blues guitarists, so please don’t let titles like ”Dance Of The Living Dead” scare you away. The music is good and the playing solid; in the late 60’s John Mayall tradition, Son Jack Jr. has even been considerate enough to specify the key for each song in the liner notes, so let’s get pickin’!

ANDRES ROOTS

- www.Blues-Finland.com

On his new album, local guitarist, songwriter, and singer Son Jack Jr. tackles three classic blues songs and adds ten of his own. Jack learned well at the feet of the blues masters at Centrum’s Country Blues workshops in Port Townsend. His finger picking and slide playing are clean, punchy, yet subtle on Skip James’s “Devil Got My Woman” and Blind Willie Johnson’s “Soul of a Man.” He pulls out all the humor on Eddie Vinson’s “Cleanhead Blues,” a rueful ode to the formerly hirsute—real roots music. (Judging from the picture on the CD, Jack is prematurely ribald.) His own tunes are tastefully played and well-conceived. “North Wind” features a kick-ass guitar part, while “It Could Be Worse” could’ve come from the fingers of Fred McDowell. The rocking “Dance of the Living Dead” will resonate with anyone who’s ever worked a stultifying high-tech office job. The standout on the album is “The Lynching Tree,” an atmospheric instrumental played in the open D-minor tuning associated with Skip James. From the evidence here, Jack knows how to compose and play; you’ll want to loop this on your Zune or iPod. - Blues To Do

He eyed me with no discernable expression on his face. He saw my Mark Riley and raised with his Henry Cooper. I was holding aces over tens, so I bet the wad. I laid my Son Jack Jr. on the table. You can’t lose if you are holding the debut offering of Son Jack Jr. Of the twelve cuts, only three are covers.

The artist demonstrates excellent guitar work, especially bottleneck style. His vocal phrasing is right on track on every cut. The record opens with “Peace of Mind Blues”. You know right away that his influences are some of the greats. I can hear some John Lee Hooker throughout, and his one instrumental, immediately reminds me of John Hammond. Cut nine is my personal favorite, “Howling Poppet”. You might not really understand unless you listen closely, and then maybe not ‘til the end. It’s a double intraday going in the opposite direction from most songs.

This album is Delta Blues at its finest, and I’m not particularly a Delta Blues fan as my first choice. Son Jack Jr. is an excellent writer, and the record has been endorsed by none other than Charlie Musselwhite. I can see Son Jack Jr. in contention in the 2008 BBs. Look for him to show in best songwriter and best acoustic blues guitar. - WA Blues Society

Every now and then a musical treasure arrives at my door. Not long ago 2 such treasures arrived by the name of "When The Devil Calls" and "Introducing...Son Jack Jr.", both courtesy of Son Jack Jr., an amazingly talented player and singer of the Delta Blues. Fans of the Delta Blues will quickly fall in love with the unique way Son Jack Jr. offers his special interpretation of that style. "When The Devil Calls" and "Introducing...Son Jack Jr." are both hypnotic in nature, and will bring a smile to face and yes maybe even a tear in your eye, especially Track 4 off of "When The Devil Calls", If I Should Fall. "When The Devil Calls" and "Introducing...Son Jack Jr." are a must have collection for any true fan of the Blues...

John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)

http://www.bluesundergroundnetwork.com/Son_Jack_Jr_CD.html - John Vermilyea

1) On "When The Devil Calls" (Feb 08)
I like it! It has the same raw personality as the debut disc but your singing and playing here sound more focused, resulting in deeper performances. Both original songs and great covers including one of my favorite songs, “Soul Of A Man”, sound great. Its people like you who keep the Delta blues alive and well, congratulations Son.

2) On "Introducing...Son Jack Jr" (Dec 07)

It is hard to believe that “Introducing” is your debut album as you sound like a seasoned player, a kind that has paid his dues, the full time.

Your take on acoustic blues is true to the form but at the same time filtered through your own sensibilities – you don’t try to be Robert Johnson or RL Burnside. Instead, you play with respect but you have courage to add something from yourself. It doesn’t happen too often with this kind of blues. Your guitar playing, both acoustic and electric is raw and dirty, just the way I like it, and your vocal delivery is powerful too.

In a world full of guitar slingers and studio tricks, “Introducing” brought me music played the old way, with grit and passion. The real blues. - Przemek Draheim

On any given day, being buried up to your neck in the Blues is what Son Jack Jr. is all about, and now with his new release "Walk The Talk", with co-artist Michael Wilde, we all have the opportunity to buried up to our necks in the Blues, as well.

"Walk The Talk" is the first collaboration between Son Jack Jr., and Michael Wilde, and I for one really, really hope that this team continues to work together, putting out more Albums in the future. The two of these guys make for one heck of a great writing team.

"Walk The Talk" consists of 12 Blues Drenched Tracks, 8 Originals (6 by Son Jack Jr., and 2 by Michael Wilde) and 4 Covers, Crawlin' King Snake (Hooker), Miss Maybelle & Skinny Woman (Burnside) and Pony Blues (Patton). All Tracks are played lean and mean, doing more than justice to the Covers and showing us all how great Son Jack Jr., and Michael Wilde are, not only as writers, but as musicians as well.

Their are two things that are abundantly clear that you will get from listening to "Walk The Talk", and that is that Number 1, "Walk The Talk" is an astonishingly good Traditional Blues Album, which will have you no doubt, correcting your vision and seeing this style of blues in a whole new and appreciative light and Number 2, at even clocking in at over 43 minutes, it is still to damn short. Luckily that can be easily remedied simply by hitting the repeat button on the old CD Player.

"Walk The Talk" is by far the best Traditonal Blues Album I have listened to all year and beyond any Accolades I can offer, those will surely be dwarfed by the Accolades, yet to come from the Music Industry at large.

The highest rating I give Albums is 5*****, for which, "Walk The Talk" euthusiastically gets that from me. I somehow feel that as special as this Album is, I wish I had a higher rating for it. If you love Traditional Blues, sung right, played right, and written right, this Album is for you. Highly Recommended and more than Thoroughly Enjoyed... - Blues Underground Network

XM SATELLITE RADIO - CH74 BLUESVILLE
March, April, May 2008
+++++++++++++++++
PULSIONS 70 RADIO ARIA (France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany) - January 2008
+++++++++++++++++
KSER 90.7FM - Clancy's Bar & Grill - 6/14/07, 2, 21,08
+++++++++++++++++
KPLU 88.5FM - John Kessler's All Blues - 3/18/07; 4/7/07
+++++++++++++++++
RADIO SFERA (Poland)
January 2008
+++++++++++++++++
WEBRADIO GOLDEN FLASH (Belgium)
March 2008
+++++++++++++++++
KRVM 91.9FM Portland, OR
3/16/08
+++++++++++++++++
SAINT FM 94.7 (UK) The Blues is Back with Tim Aves
March 2008
+++++++++++++++++
KKZX 98.9FM Spokane
The Blues Show
April 2008
+++++++++++++++++
BEAUB FM 89 LIMOGES
KAOLIN FM 88.4 CORREZE, DORDOGNE, HAUTE-VIENNE
RMJ FM 90.1 HAUTE-VIENNE, INDRE, VIENNE
RADIO VASSIVIERE 88.6 HAUTE-VIENNE, CREUSE,, & 92.3 HTE CORREZE
BRAM' FM98.3 TULLE & PAYS D'EGLETONS CORREZE
RADIO TROUBLE FETE 95.4 LIMOGES
May 2008
++++++++++++++++++
Radio Gualeguay LT38 (Argentina)
Aug 2008 - Various

Country Blues From The Duwamish Delta, (04/23/08)
Solo acoustic artist Son Jack Jr. calls his music "Country Blues with Attitude." The Seattle-based guitarist, who originally hails from London, has obviously studied the legends of the genre. Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson, and also John Lee Hooker have all left their marks on his sound. This 12-song CD, which predates his current When the Devil Calls release, is a solid collection of mostly original material.
Save for the odd harmonica accompaniment, the guitarist does all the playing and singing. He's a strong resonator player with a warm, non-intimidating voice. Though vocally he occasionally comes across as a tad polite for the Blues, for the most part he takes an earnest approach, perhaps the result of his having returned to making music after an extended hiatus. That's evident right from the get-go on the Hooker-inspired "Peace of Mind Blues" and again a couple of tracks later on "Crazy Blues."

The mournful "Dearly Departed Blues," an instrumental, echoes Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night" and is one of a pair of standout cuts. The other, "Howling Poppet" (according to one online dictionary "poppet" is a British term for "darling"), features some of his most impressive percussive guitar playing and an intriguing narrative. Serviceable covers of Robert Johnson, Charlie Musselwhite, and R.L. Burnside round out just over a half-hour of music.

Son Jack Jr. doesn't reinvent or embellish the Country Blues much on his debut release, but his accomplished playing and songwriting skills make him an artist to watch.

Vincent Abbate is a contributing editor at BluesWax. You may contact Vincent at blueswax@visnat.com. - BluesWax

Son Jack Jr. was raised in London, and recorded and performed extensively in the UK during the ’70s and ’80s. After a 20-year hiatus, he restarted his musical career in the U.S.

He’s a singer/songwriter that specializes in country blues, mainly of the Mississippi Delta variety. Over the past couple of years, he’s released an impressive pair of CDs on his own label, 2006’s "Introducing…" and the just-released follow-up, "When The Devil Calls".

"Introducing…" features 12 tracks, nine of which are original compositions by Jack, highlighted by the moody opening cut, “Peace of Mind Blues,” and the meditative instrumental, “Dearly Departed Blues.” The plugged-in “All To You” is also a keeper, as is “Thousand Miles Blues.” Also included are three excellent covers, “Dust My Broom,” Charlie Musselwhite’s “Stingaree,” and R L Burnside’s “Black Mattie.” Jack’s vocals are solid, but his guitar playing is superior. Kim Field adds harmonica to three tracks. This is an outstanding set of Delta blues that you might have missed the first time out.

Even better is Jack’s second release, When The Devil Calls. He wrote 10 of the 13 tracks, ranging from the fiery “Dance of the Living Dead” to “The Lynching Tree,” which sounds like a track from a Ry Cooder movie score. “If I Should Fall” is a beautiful, gentle track with one of Jack’s best vocals, and “It Could Be Worse” has a Hill Country feel to it. The three covers are well-chosen and well-done, and include Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson’s “Cleanhead Blues,” Blind Willie Johnson’s “Soul of a Man,” and Skip James’ “Devil Got My Woman.”

Son Jack Jr. has plenty to offer guitar fans. He combines great fretwork, solid vocals, and highly original songwriting. Visit his website at www.sonjackjr.com and check out both of these CDs at www.cdbaby.com - BLUESBYTES

XM SATELLITE RADIO - CH74 BLUESVILLE
March, April, May 2008
+++++++++++++++++
PULSIONS 70 RADIO ARIA (France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany) - January 2008
+++++++++++++++++
KSER 90.7FM - Clancy's Bar & Grill - 6/14/07, 2, 21,08
+++++++++++++++++
KPLU 88.5FM - John Kessler's All Blues - 3/18/07; 4/7/07
+++++++++++++++++
RADIO SFERA (Poland)
January 2008
+++++++++++++++++
WEBRADIO GOLDEN FLASH (Belgium)
March 2008
+++++++++++++++++
KRVM 91.9FM Portland, OR
3/16/08
+++++++++++++++++
SAINT FM 94.7 (UK) The Blues is Back with Tim Aves
March 2008
+++++++++++++++++
KKZX 98.9FM Spokane
The Blues Show
April 2008
+++++++++++++++++
BEAUB FM 89 LIMOGES
KAOLIN FM 88.4 CORREZE, DORDOGNE, HAUTE-VIENNE
RMJ FM 90.1 HAUTE-VIENNE, INDRE, VIENNE
RADIO VASSIVIERE 88.6 HAUTE-VIENNE, CREUSE,, & 92.3 HTE CORREZE
BRAM' FM98.3 TULLE & PAYS D'EGLETONS CORREZE
RADIO TROUBLE FETE 95.4 LIMOGES
May 2008
++++++++++++++++++
Radio Gualeguay LT38 (Argentina)
Aug 2008 - Various

From the opening notes of When the Devil Calls, the sophomore record from Son Jack Jr., one thing is evident: This guy can play.

The obvious influence of the prewar blues masters can be heard throughout the record, but Son Jack Jr. doesn’t really sound like any of them. He possesses a strong singing voice and his own distinct songwriting style.

Son Jack tends to pack more lyrics into his songs than did his prewar forebears. This rapid-fire approach works well on several songs, particularly the leadoff tracks, “I’m Son Jack Jr.” and “Dance of the Living Dead.” But Son Jack is at his most powerful when he leaves more room for his lyrics to breath, as on the moving “If I Should Fall.” When he allows his guitar to do all of the talking, as on the instrumental “The Lynching Tree,” the effect is hair-raising.

Most of the 13 tracks on When The Devil Calls are originals, and the three covers are well-chosen, particularly Son Jack’s take on Skip James’ “Devil Got My Woman.”

He experiments with various tempos and tunings throughout, resulting in a nicely varied record that avoids the slumber-inducing tendencies of too many solo acoustic albums.

For those in search of something both new and familiar at the same time, When the Devil Calls offers a fine solution. It’ll be interesting to see where Son Jack goes from here. - Jeff Konkel, Broke & Hungry Records

From the opening notes of When the Devil Calls, the sophomore record from Son Jack Jr., one thing is evident: This guy can play.

The obvious influence of the prewar blues masters can be heard throughout the record, but Son Jack Jr. doesn’t really sound like any of them. He possesses a strong singing voice and his own distinct songwriting style.

Son Jack tends to pack more lyrics into his songs than did his prewar forebears. This rapid-fire approach works well on several songs, particularly the leadoff tracks, “I’m Son Jack Jr.” and “Dance of the Living Dead.” But Son Jack is at his most powerful when he leaves more room for his lyrics to breath, as on the moving “If I Should Fall.” When he allows his guitar to do all of the talking, as on the instrumental “The Lynching Tree,” the effect is hair-raising.

Most of the 13 tracks on When The Devil Calls are originals, and the three covers are well-chosen, particularly Son Jack’s take on Skip James’ “Devil Got My Woman.”

He experiments with various tempos and tunings throughout, resulting in a nicely varied record that avoids the slumber-inducing tendencies of too many solo acoustic albums.

For those in search of something both new and familiar at the same time, When the Devil Calls offers a fine solution. It’ll be interesting to see where Son Jack goes from here. - Jeff Konkel, Broke & Hungry Records