Jay Hooks Records

It might surprise some to know that I’m a lover of Electric Blues. I don’t celebrate it as much as I probably should and there’s no underlying reason either. I tell people that I’m a Metalhead if they ask. But growing up in the 60’s and 70’s it’s just always been a part of my musical journey. Lest one forgets, the mighty BLACK SABBATH started out as a blues-based band called EARTH. LED ZEPPELIN’s early albums all had blues songs on them, rearranged to suit their style but they were still there. FLEETWOOD MAC started out with Peter Green and played the blues before they turned into the laidback Cali band that sold millions of albums. Any early legendary English guitarist: BECK, CLAPTON, BLACKMORE, PAGE, TOWNSEND, etc ALL started out worshipping and playing their own style of electric blues. And Irish legends too, including ERIC BELL, RORY GALLAGHER & GARY MOORE as well. And of course Texas has our own blues giants: JOHNNY WINTER, JIMMY and STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN, BUGS HENDERSON, LIGHTNING HOPKINS, BILLY GIBBONS, ALBERT COLLINS and I could go on. So even if you don’t THINK you listen to the blues, you’ve no doubt somewhere down the line heard someone who was massively influenced by it and you probably didn’t even realize it.

And the blues are still going strong lest you think it’s just an ancient relic of time gone by. People like JOE BONAMASSA, ERIC GALES, MARCUS KING & GARY CLARK Jr. are keeping the blues alive and well. So too is another Texas player called JAY HOOKS. The JAY HOOKS BAND plays that bonafide and Texas-fried electric blues that’s hot and sweaty, just like one of our many Texas beer joints up and down the Gulf Coast where JAY and the Boyz ply their trade. But JAY ain’t some local-yocal one trick pony. He’s played and released music in Europe, played on the legendary Rockpalast show in Germany (if you don’t know, look up your favorite band. Chances are they’ve played on it too). Even played in LAVELLE WHITE’s backing band. Born and raised here in Houston, JAY is still bringing the blues to the people. And has a brand new CD to boot, called ‘Tequila & Bullets’.

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Sound Arts Recording in H-Town by Brian Baker and produced by Matthew Johnson, the Cd sounds fantastic! I have a pretty badass stereo on my Harley and it really pops, even at faster than posted speeds. 12 songs in 45 minutes, there’s a little something for everybody. Cd opener “Evinrude Boat Motor” is an uptempo boogie shuffle that gets the blood pumpin’. That’s how you kick off an album! The title track reminds me of JIMI HENDRIX when he turned to playing the blues. JAY really burns the frets up on this one! “A Woman Like You” is a fine Southern Rock asskicker that’s a little subtle at first but definitely reminds me of PAT TRAVERS in the main body of the song. “Lonesome” is tried and true blues, talkin’ about how his woman has gone. Imma tell ya’ll right now, JAY can hang with ANY bluesman you wanna’ throw at me. You’ll be air-guitar playing and making faces. That’s a fact. Vocally and musically on “Your Touch” reminds me of the late, great BUGS HENDERSON, who I was fortunate enough to see slay Gruene Hall many moons ago. That’s pretty good company I think. “Left Me Cold” has that Latin SANTANA groove to it that should get some asses on the dance floor but quick! “Mind Full” kinda reminds me of early ZZ TOP musically, the only one that matters to me. And a smokin’ solo that brings back the ghost of SRV. Excellent. And the fact that The JAY HOOKS BAND does a freakin’ RORY GALLAGHER cover, “The Mississippi Sheiks” off his ‘Photo-Finish’ album from 1978 tells me the not only is JAY the real deal, but the man knows his music as well! For a bit of tongue-in-cheekness, there’s “Redneck Shit”, a fun little ditty to show that JAY doesn’t take himself too seriously. “I Was Wrong” has a great solo in it, while “My Kinda Fine” is an ode to a beautiful woman. Of course it has some tasty guitar work as well. Natch’. Cd closer “Mexican Larry” may or may not be about a Harley ridin’ dude we both know. Hmmm. The song itself is a slow burner that coulda been in the movie ‘From Dusk ‘Till Dawn’ as the band plays while the vamps start eating people. Solid ending to a really top notch album. I think calling it just “Blues” kinda does the album as a whole a disservice, as musically it’s waaay more than just traditional blues. I would tell you that I believe there’s something for everybody’s style on here, and I also believe it’s not something you’ll play once and then it becomes an ashtray. And for you folks who are more visual, check out JAY’s YouTube playlist for this album, with no less than 6 vids to make your eyes AND ears happy! What more could you need? Maybe some Tequila!!

Unfortunately, no Wax for this I’m afraid. But man, this would sound dynamite if I could play it on my Rega turntable!!

4.5 bottles of Tequila out of 5.0