JW-JONES
''SEVENTH HOUR''
MARCH 27 2012
36:39
1. Ain't Gonna Beg/3:45
2. Let It Go/3:17
3. In A Song/4:05
4. You Got Caught/3:40
5. All Over Again/4:08
6. Heartbreaker/3:02
7. Do For You/4:14
8. I'm Tryin/3:59
9. What Is Real/3:55
10. So Long I'm Gone/2:34
JW-Jones/Guitar, Vocals
Jesse Whiteley/Hammond Organ, Piano
Marc Decho/Bass
Jeff Asselin/Drums
REVIEW
by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
I really don't know what JW-Jones was trying to prove with his newest release "Seventh Hour", but if he was trying to prove that he just gets better and better with each new album, then all I have to say is, Mission Accomplished. With the "Seventh Hour", JW-Jones unabashedly crossed over a few lines and brought back a bit of hidden treasure.
For most of JW-Jones releases, you were pretty well guaranteed that there was going to be a famous guest or 2 on board, with recent notables being, Little Charlie Baty, Junior Watson, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Charlie Musselwhite, Colin James, Kim Wilson, and Hubert Sumlin. For "Seventh Hour", JW-Jones decided it was going to be a nothing fancy production with, "No famous guests. No fancy studios. This is JW-Jones and his band doing what they do best - right at home, recorded in J-Dub's living room." As in most cases, JW-Jones once again played the part of producer, but left the mixing up to none other than, multi-Juno award winning artist/producer, Steve Dawson, whom also did double duty on Track 9 via the playing of a National Tricone Guitar.
"Seventh Hour" consists of 10 Tracks of which JW-Jones solely wrote 5 and co-wrote 3 with Tim Wynne-Jones. Tim Wynne-Jones, JW-Jones uncle, is a celebrated Canadian writer, mostly in the field of children's literature and has collaborated with JW-Jones on previous albums, including his 2010 release "Midnight Memphis Sun". The 2 covers on "Seventh Hour" were "I'm Tryin'", written by Little Milton & Oliver Sain Jr., and "So Long I'm Gone", written by Roy Orbison & Sam Phillips.
The opener for "Seventh Hour", "Ain't Gonna Beg", doesn't waste anytime at all ripping your butt off its seat and planting your feet firmly on the dance floor. Wow this one is a real barn burner of a song. It is a no nonsense hard driving pedal to the metal Track which will get your attention immediately.
For the 3rd Track, "In A Song", Jeff Asselin starts of with a big Bass Drum beat that permeates this rockin' song, which slips from a feel of Rock-A-Billy, to a tinge of Country, with some fine Guitars Soaked Blues, midpoint. Yet another mighty fine Track.
Jeff Asselin once again keeps a mighty fine feel, as does Marc Decho on Upright Bass for Track 6, "Heartbreaker", with this Jump Blues Style feeling song which was one of the 3 co-written Tracks JW-Jones did with Tim Wynne-Jones.
Track 10, "What Is Real", is one of the slower, yet certainly no less entertaining Tracks on "Seventh Hour", which not only shows off JW-Jones signature sounding Vocals, but also the mighty fine National Tricone Guitar work courtesy of Steve Dawson.
"Seventh Hour" finishes off in fine style with the country/rock-a-billy edged song, "I'm Tryin'". Fantastic Piano pounding by Jessie Whiteley, and great Electric Bass from Guest Performer James Rooke. It is an ending and an album, that simply has you reaching for the replay button, because one listen is never enough.
There were a lot of greats songs on this album, but the one that really hit me was the first Track, "Ain't Gonna Beg", which continued to be my favorite one on "Seventh Hour".
JW-Jones is recognized as Canada's Top Touring Bluesman, and with productions like "Seventh Hour", you have no problem understanding why. Like his Live shows, JW-Jones puts all he has got and more into his albums, always finding a way to make them a little better then the previous one.
"Seventh Hour" is a fantastic Canadian release, but more than that, it stacks up against many of the fine releases that have come out internationally, as well, for 2012. JW-Jones is an artist for whom your appetite for his music just gets stronger and stronger with each new release.
Highly Recommended and Thorughly Enjoyed...
BIOGRAPHY
by Linda Seida
What could a teenager possibly know about the blues? Traditionally the blues are about years of hard living and paying a hard price for it, and about serious lovin' and serious loss. Parodies, which frequently are based on kernels of truth, tell us that a bluesman worth the name must know about women, whiskey, and jail, and not necessarily in that order. But all these assumptions and kernels of truth fly right out the window when it comes to the youthful Canadian blues guitarist known as JW-Jones (and yes, the hyphen is in the right place). Born in Ottawa, he wasn't yet 20 years old when he triumphed in a hometown competition known as the Blues Guitar Riff-Off in 1999. Jones built on his early success and with a band he had pulled together the previous year of musicians who were about as young as he was or younger, the guitarist and his JW-Jones Blues Band set out to record an album. He debuted with Defibrillatin' in 2000. The CD features some numbers that were recorded at home, some that were laid down in a studio as demos, as well as a couple of live numbers. While some critics groused a tiny bit about the quality of the release's sound, they quickly followed the complaint with superlatives for Jones' talent. His band is comprised of "Southside" Steve Marriner, the champion in 1999 of the Blues Harp Blow-Off in Ottawa, on harmonica; Pierre Chretien on organ and piano; drummer Steve Hiscox, and upright bass player Nathan Morris. Jones penned seven of the debut album's tracks. Chretien wrote one song, as did Marriner. Before turning to the guitar, Jones was initially interested in the drums. A change of heart brought him to the guitar after he found himself intently listening to and watching an Ottawa guitarist named Tony D. The guitarist's moves so impressed Jones that he hammered questions at Tony D after his shows. The working musician took the time to answer the teenager's questions, provide tips, and recommend a list of recordings. The switch to guitar from drums was cemented when Jones' grandparents gave him an electric guitar late in 1996. Keyboardist Chretien is credited with bringing a jazz influence to Jones' and the band's sound. Jones met Marriner through the Johnny Russell Band when both played with the outfit, as they still do. In 2001, the Maple Blues Awards honored Defibrillatin' with a nomination. The following year, the Maple Blues Awards listed Jones as a nominee for New Artist of the Year and named Marriner as a finalist for Harp Player of the Year. He followed those achievements up with 2002's Bogart's Bounce, featuring help from Fabulous Thunderbirds Kim Wilson and Gene Taylor.
''SEVENTH HOUR''
MARCH 27 2012
36:39
1. Ain't Gonna Beg/3:45
2. Let It Go/3:17
3. In A Song/4:05
4. You Got Caught/3:40
5. All Over Again/4:08
6. Heartbreaker/3:02
7. Do For You/4:14
8. I'm Tryin/3:59
9. What Is Real/3:55
10. So Long I'm Gone/2:34
JW-Jones/Guitar, Vocals
Jesse Whiteley/Hammond Organ, Piano
Marc Decho/Bass
Jeff Asselin/Drums
REVIEW
by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
I really don't know what JW-Jones was trying to prove with his newest release "Seventh Hour", but if he was trying to prove that he just gets better and better with each new album, then all I have to say is, Mission Accomplished. With the "Seventh Hour", JW-Jones unabashedly crossed over a few lines and brought back a bit of hidden treasure.
For most of JW-Jones releases, you were pretty well guaranteed that there was going to be a famous guest or 2 on board, with recent notables being, Little Charlie Baty, Junior Watson, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Charlie Musselwhite, Colin James, Kim Wilson, and Hubert Sumlin. For "Seventh Hour", JW-Jones decided it was going to be a nothing fancy production with, "No famous guests. No fancy studios. This is JW-Jones and his band doing what they do best - right at home, recorded in J-Dub's living room." As in most cases, JW-Jones once again played the part of producer, but left the mixing up to none other than, multi-Juno award winning artist/producer, Steve Dawson, whom also did double duty on Track 9 via the playing of a National Tricone Guitar.
"Seventh Hour" consists of 10 Tracks of which JW-Jones solely wrote 5 and co-wrote 3 with Tim Wynne-Jones. Tim Wynne-Jones, JW-Jones uncle, is a celebrated Canadian writer, mostly in the field of children's literature and has collaborated with JW-Jones on previous albums, including his 2010 release "Midnight Memphis Sun". The 2 covers on "Seventh Hour" were "I'm Tryin'", written by Little Milton & Oliver Sain Jr., and "So Long I'm Gone", written by Roy Orbison & Sam Phillips.
The opener for "Seventh Hour", "Ain't Gonna Beg", doesn't waste anytime at all ripping your butt off its seat and planting your feet firmly on the dance floor. Wow this one is a real barn burner of a song. It is a no nonsense hard driving pedal to the metal Track which will get your attention immediately.
For the 3rd Track, "In A Song", Jeff Asselin starts of with a big Bass Drum beat that permeates this rockin' song, which slips from a feel of Rock-A-Billy, to a tinge of Country, with some fine Guitars Soaked Blues, midpoint. Yet another mighty fine Track.
Jeff Asselin once again keeps a mighty fine feel, as does Marc Decho on Upright Bass for Track 6, "Heartbreaker", with this Jump Blues Style feeling song which was one of the 3 co-written Tracks JW-Jones did with Tim Wynne-Jones.
Track 10, "What Is Real", is one of the slower, yet certainly no less entertaining Tracks on "Seventh Hour", which not only shows off JW-Jones signature sounding Vocals, but also the mighty fine National Tricone Guitar work courtesy of Steve Dawson.
"Seventh Hour" finishes off in fine style with the country/rock-a-billy edged song, "I'm Tryin'". Fantastic Piano pounding by Jessie Whiteley, and great Electric Bass from Guest Performer James Rooke. It is an ending and an album, that simply has you reaching for the replay button, because one listen is never enough.
There were a lot of greats songs on this album, but the one that really hit me was the first Track, "Ain't Gonna Beg", which continued to be my favorite one on "Seventh Hour".
JW-Jones is recognized as Canada's Top Touring Bluesman, and with productions like "Seventh Hour", you have no problem understanding why. Like his Live shows, JW-Jones puts all he has got and more into his albums, always finding a way to make them a little better then the previous one.
"Seventh Hour" is a fantastic Canadian release, but more than that, it stacks up against many of the fine releases that have come out internationally, as well, for 2012. JW-Jones is an artist for whom your appetite for his music just gets stronger and stronger with each new release.
Highly Recommended and Thorughly Enjoyed...
BIOGRAPHY
by Linda Seida
What could a teenager possibly know about the blues? Traditionally the blues are about years of hard living and paying a hard price for it, and about serious lovin' and serious loss. Parodies, which frequently are based on kernels of truth, tell us that a bluesman worth the name must know about women, whiskey, and jail, and not necessarily in that order. But all these assumptions and kernels of truth fly right out the window when it comes to the youthful Canadian blues guitarist known as JW-Jones (and yes, the hyphen is in the right place). Born in Ottawa, he wasn't yet 20 years old when he triumphed in a hometown competition known as the Blues Guitar Riff-Off in 1999. Jones built on his early success and with a band he had pulled together the previous year of musicians who were about as young as he was or younger, the guitarist and his JW-Jones Blues Band set out to record an album. He debuted with Defibrillatin' in 2000. The CD features some numbers that were recorded at home, some that were laid down in a studio as demos, as well as a couple of live numbers. While some critics groused a tiny bit about the quality of the release's sound, they quickly followed the complaint with superlatives for Jones' talent. His band is comprised of "Southside" Steve Marriner, the champion in 1999 of the Blues Harp Blow-Off in Ottawa, on harmonica; Pierre Chretien on organ and piano; drummer Steve Hiscox, and upright bass player Nathan Morris. Jones penned seven of the debut album's tracks. Chretien wrote one song, as did Marriner. Before turning to the guitar, Jones was initially interested in the drums. A change of heart brought him to the guitar after he found himself intently listening to and watching an Ottawa guitarist named Tony D. The guitarist's moves so impressed Jones that he hammered questions at Tony D after his shows. The working musician took the time to answer the teenager's questions, provide tips, and recommend a list of recordings. The switch to guitar from drums was cemented when Jones' grandparents gave him an electric guitar late in 1996. Keyboardist Chretien is credited with bringing a jazz influence to Jones' and the band's sound. Jones met Marriner through the Johnny Russell Band when both played with the outfit, as they still do. In 2001, the Maple Blues Awards honored Defibrillatin' with a nomination. The following year, the Maple Blues Awards listed Jones as a nominee for New Artist of the Year and named Marriner as a finalist for Harp Player of the Year. He followed those achievements up with 2002's Bogart's Bounce, featuring help from Fabulous Thunderbirds Kim Wilson and Gene Taylor.