The West
Coast based Pacific Blues label is one of those small
blues labels that has a knack for consistently putting
out quality releases, most with little fanfare. Their
latest offerings are top notch including Nathan James'
debut "This Road Is Mine", a knockout country blues
disc, and Jamie Wood's swinging, retro flavored "Ain't
No Doubt About It."
24 year
old Nathan James has played guitar in James Harman's
band for about four years and Harman was so impressed
he produced this album. It's not hard to see why as
James is an exceptional country blues guitarist who
has a feel for the music well beyond his years. While
he played electric in Harman's band here he focuses
on acoustic sounding equally fine on resonator or
flattop as well as singing and playing rack harmonica.
Teaming up with James is multi-instrumentalist Ben
Hernandez on vocals, harmonica, kazoo, washtub bass
and Harman lending a hand on vocals and harmonica.
James sounds commanding on the solo pieces particularly
the two Tampa Red covers, "Sugar Mama Blues" getting
a great sound from that resonator, the tongue-in-cheek
"If I Let You Get Away With It Once" and most impressively
tackling Lonnie Johnson's classic instrumental "Woke
Up With The Blues In My Fingers." Band highlights
include Brownie & Sonny's "Sweet Lovin' Kind"
with two part singing from James and Hernandez, the
ragtime flavored "Hip Shakin' Mama" strongly inspired
by Blind Boy Fuller and the fiery intensity of "Took
My Saviors Hand" that brings to mind the great guitar
evangelists of the past.
Nathan
James also plays guitar (electric) on Jamie Wood's
swinging, jive flavored "Ain't no Doubt about It."
Wood's band has a decidedly retro style harking back
to the swinging combos of the 30's and 40's drawing
inspiration from singers like Helen Humes, Ella Mae
Morse and Lil Green. Wood's has an insinuating, wise
and sassy style that perfectly suits this music and
the band is terrific laying down a percussive, gently
swinging backbeat. In addition to James on guitar,
who shows his versatility playing tasteful electric
in the style of Charlie Christian and Freddie Green,
there's veteran boogie-woogie pianist Carl Sonny Leyland,
Johnny Rover on chromatic harp, Tyler Pedersen standup
bass, Johnny Morgan on drums and James Harman doing
some jive talking on a Louis Jordan number. Get the
martinis ready as Jamie Wood and her band jump and
swing through a fine set list including well chosen
covers like Memphis Minnie's sly "Kissin' In The Dark",
"Doin' The Boogie Woogie" and Roosevelt Sykes' "Don't
Talk Me To Death (a.k.a. 47th Street Jive)" both featuring
the sparkling 88's of Sonny Leyland plus Jimmy Rushing's
"Say You Don't Mean It" with a killer guitar solo
by James. Wood's delivers a pair of fine jumping originals
including the title track and the humorous "Hock That
Rock."
It's
hard for a small label, especially a blues label,
to get noticed in an already crowded market. Pacific
Blues has been making their mark the old fashioned
way by simply putting out great blues records. Both
records by Nathan James and Jamie Wood fall into that
category and I wouldn't be surprised if one or both
popped up on some year end "best of" lists.
-Check out
these related links:
Pacific Blues Website
Nathan James Website
Jamie Wood Website
(Jeff Harris)
