Beneath The Blood Moon (CD) By Jim Roberts And The Resonants

Tags

Beneath The Blood Moon, Jim Roberts

Beneath The Blood Moon

Jim Roberts and The Resonants

Jim Roberts and The Resonants

Review by David Bowling

 

Jim Roberts has had two distinct periods to his music career, divided by 16 years as a police officer and raising a family. Before leaving the music scene he opened for such acts as Ricky Nelson, Della Reese, and Danny O’Keefe. He even made a television appearance on the Mike Douglas Show during the 1980’s.

Today he is firmly entrenched in the blues, who backed by his band The Resonants, has just released his new album Beneath The Blood Moon. He is an excellent slide guitar player but it is his expertise with a three-string cigar box guitar that defines his sound. It gives his sound a more primitive feel, which is an important part of his approach to the blues.

Roberts music is direct and hard-hitting. Songs such as “Dog Done Bit My Baby,” “Gold Train Fever,” “Dark Down The Delta,” and “The Hell Hounds Due” are all energetic excursions in the realm of the blues with some stops in Americana and roots rock.

Jim Roberts has re-invented himself as a first class bluesman. If you like your blues direct and at times raw, then Beneath The Blood Moon is an album for you.

Rating: ***

Advertisement

A Month Of Sundays By Jim Roberts & The Resonants

Tags

Jim Roberts, Month Of Sundays, Resonants

A Month Of Sundays

Jim Roberts & The Resonants

Review by David Bowling

 

Jim Roberts & The Resonants have returned with their third album release of contemporary blues. Roberts is an extraordinary electric guitarist, slide guitarist, and is one of the few artists to have added a cigar box guitar to his repertoire.

A Month Of Sundays is an album of varying tempos, which makes each track unique and keeps the album fresh.

Roberts uses his brass judiciously. The album opening “Skeeters” is driven by the horn section, while the sax and guitar combine on “I’m Walkin’ On” to create a pleasant fusion of blues and jazz.

Perhaps the best and certainly the most creative track “What Her Evil Do.” It is a trip back in time via the primitive sound of the acoustic cigar box guitar, which blends with the harmonica sounds of Joey Gomez. Also standing out is the slow blues tune “Make A Promise.”

In addition to his guitar and vocal duties, Roberts produces the album and wrote or co-wrote all 13 tracks, which puts him at the center of each song.

Through it all Roberts transitions effortlessly from one style to another making A Month Of Sundays not only a slide guitarists delight but also an album of excellent modern-day urban blues.

Rating: ***