Rusty Jacks
Album: Holler 'N' Howl
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.RustyJacksBluesBand.com

Rusty Jacks describe themselves as a Southern Blues Band.

This five-piece American band follow the tried and tested format of guitars, bass and drums plus the addition of harmonica.

This is mostly an excellent rocking album, which features mainly original songs. The exception is The Hunter, wrongly attributed to Free - it was written by Booker T and the MGs - and Sonny Boy Williamson's Good Morning Little School as covered by The Yardbirds and many others.

A couple of up beat rockers lead into the slow blues, Never Had The Blues Before, which highlights a fine vocal performance and some tasty guitar.

The Hunter is a fine effort and took me back to that fantastic Tons of Sobs album by Free all those years ago. The harmonica is used to great effect, though personally I would have liked a little higher in the mix. The boys sound as if they are really enjoying themselves.

Pay My Dues is a jaunty acoustic number with a ragtime feel which shows the versatility of this band.

You Tease Me Baby features a stop rhythm which allows the guitar man to show his talents. Once again the harmonica is way down in the mix.

Down In the Gutter is a mid-tempo rocker with obligatory guitar histrionics as the song fades away. There's more a superb guitar on Saturday Night Again, a brooding rocker.

The album is wrapped up with a slide-based song, The Sun is Shining, where - at last - the harmonica gets pride of place in the mix.

All in all a great blues-rock album that shows this band in a great light. Rock on!

John Knighton