Jay Jesse
Johnson (not to be confused with disco/funk rocker Jesse Johnson) has released
a bunch of high class albums since his solo debut “Strange Imagination” in 2004.
Before that he recorded an album with pomp rock band ArcAngel (featuring Jeff
Cannata) in 1983 and in 1989 he released the album “Electrocution of the Heart”
with AOR band Deadringer (featuring Charlie Huhn and Barry Dunaway among others).
His solo albums are however quite far from the melodic rock scene. “Down The
Hard Road”, like Jay’s previous solo efforts, are all about the blues. The
album is all originals except for Booker T’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” and Roy
Buchanan’s “The Messiah Will Come Again”. I remember reviewing Jay’s previous
album “Set The Blues On Fire” two years ago. The album was a nice piece of hard
edged blues rock. On this album Jay is leaning more towards the classic side of
blues rock and boogie and he’s even added some horns on a couple of songs and
there’s a piano solo in “Drive Me Home”. Jay is an outstanding guitarist with
both incredible feel and great technique. Most of the songs are classic blues
rock numbers, while “Tears Of An Angel” is a slow and slightly heavier blues
ballad and “Bull In The Barn” offers some swift chicken pickin’. The
aforementioned Buchanan cover “The Messiah Will Come” also offers a slightly different
touch to the album, and I honestly hadn’t really thought about how this number
must have had a great impact on Gary Moore when he wrote “The Loner” and “Parisienne
Walkways”. Sweet notes a’ la carte.
Janne Stark
Year: 2017
Label:
Grooveyard Records
Country:
USA
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