Jinski
Album: Down Here
Label: Lucky Smile
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.jinski.com

I first saw Steve Wegrzynski (aka Jinski) perform many years ago and almost immediately booked him for a pub gig I was arranging as part of the much missed Bradford Festival. On the night of the gig I was worried that the noise in the pub would be distracting but within a few minutes Steve had caught the attention of the whole audience through a combination of his powerful voice and sheer charisma.

I lost track of Steve over the years but was delighted when he contacted me just after I had started running a weekly acoustic night at a pub in the wilds above Bradford. I soon found that he had lost none of the character that he had demonstrated those years ago and had also picked up another character along the way - Dave Kennedy. Dave's sparking guitar playing and easy manner fitted so naturally with Steve that it seemed they had been born to perform together.

I reviewed their last full length CD, 'Hurry Home' for the West Yorkshire folk magazine Tykes News and was impressed. This latest offering, however, is definitely a stronger piece of work and benefits from a superb array of guest musicians and excellent production. The opening track 'Live Long In The Day' is surprisingly but pleasantly understated - de - stressing the listener well before the end of its four minute duration. The pace picks up with the title track whilst 'Ship Ahoy' marks a return to a more laid back sound - with Karen Tweed's accordion featuring prominently and to good effect. Then follows the stand out track, 'Slow Down', which should, if there is anyone with any sense left at the BBC, guarantee the guys mainstream radio airplay - it is a beautifully constructed and performed song demonstrating a new maturity in their sound.

The remaining tracks continue to guarantee the listener an enjoyable if unsophisticated ride - the song lyrics are simple and direct - though perhaps understandably the high water mark of 'Slow Down' is never reached again.

An uplifting CD, the main intent of which seems to be, as is the case with Jinski's live act, to make the listener happy - and there is definitely nothing wrong with that!

Joe Grint