Jay Willie Blues Band, New York Minute

Nowadays there's new blues, borrowed blues, blue blues and faux blues. Now whether it's good doesn't to me mean that it should fall into only one or two of these categories. If it's good, it's good. If it isn't, it isn't.

So we have the Jay Willie Blues band today, and their recent New York Minute (Zoho 201303). It's new blues, rock blues, hard blues and it convinces. This is not a classic Chicago sound with tail-kicking bluesmaster vocals. The vocals are good, they just are not of a Wolf or Bland level of classicity. They are handled with some soul and perfect adequacy by Jay Willie (who also hits guitar and a little bass and a little harp), Bob Callahan (on guitar, bass and piano also), and Bobby T. Torello (who is the drummer). Then we get one guest vocal appearance by Marlou Zandvliet. Oh, also Jason Ricci joins the throng with some nice harp of his own for four cuts.

These folks mostly hail from Connecticut. Bobby T. was Johnny Winter's drummer by the way. And some of that Winter hardness is there as clear influence.

What's good is the very solid instrumental rock-hard bluesiness, solid gritty slide guitar and amped plucking, hot rhythm section and a nice mix of classics and originals.

Yes. A nice one.