Son Jack JR When The Devil Calls CD

WINNER: \"Best Self Produced CD\", 2008 (South Sound Blues Association).Review by John Vermilyea, Blues Underground Network: \"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...-------------Review by Jeff Konkel, President 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.\"-------------Son Jack Jr has played guitar for over 30 years on both sides of the atlantic and has recorded, performed and toured with bands in London for many years. Since moving to the USA in 1997 he developed a deep respect and understanding for the blues and it’s place in American history and spent a lot of time in the Mississippi delta, in Memphis, in Chicago and places in between. Through it all he kept coming back to delta blues as the source and root of everything else. Why? Because it’s real and raw and there’s nowhere to hide. His live shows include songs that he has written influenced by the time honored traditions of the delta blues as well as songs from many of the great players that shaped the blues over the past century. He plays solo with a solid steel resonator guitar with a brass slide and finger picking in various open tunings.