JAY GORDON’S BLUES VENOM
SLIDE RULES!
DRIPPING BLUES–PAIN–LOST IN TIME–LUCKY 13–DOCKERY’S PLANTATION–STRANGER BLUES–VOODOO BOOGIE–EL DIABLO BLUES–TRAVELIN RIVERSIDE BLUES–PURE GRAIN ALCOHOL–SIX STRING OUTLAW–SWEETHEART BLUES–TRAIN TRAIN
Jay Gordon’s Blues Venom consists of Jay on slide guitar and vocals, Sharon Butcher on vocals and bass, and the power trio is rounded out by Tom “Mr. Groove” Parham on drums. Jay’s slide plying is ferocious, raw, and powerful, plus he’s a helluva lot of fun to listen to. Ten originals and three covers comprise his latest exercise in the blues, aptly-titled “Slide Rules!”
The boogie’s the thing throughout, and, leading off, is the Delta-inspired slow burn of “Dripping Blues,” where, “sittin’ in this juke joint, I could see the blues drippin’ from the walls!” The rapid-fire “Lost In Time in the temple of the king” is a cool roadhouse rocker, as is the tale of mojos, boogie, and ol’ “Lucky 13!” Another cut inspired by Elmore James features Jay and his lover “doin’ the Voodoo Boogie all night long,” He takes those “wimmen in Vicksburg, clean up to Tennessee” in a sweet acoustic read of Robert Johnson’s “Travelin Riverside Blues,” This one served as one of our favorites. Another fave was the 200 proof boogie of “Pure Grain Alcohol,” and Jay close the set with our final favorite. J. Blackfoot cut it back in the Seventies’, but Jay’s slide is fast and furious on his cool read of “Train, Train, take me on out of this town!”
Jay Gordon’s Blues Venom takes the traditional stylings of Elmore James and Robert Nighthawk and combines them with the mile-a-minute fervor of contemporaries such as Johnny Winter. It all comes together to make “Slide Rules!” a guitar-lover’s dream! Until next time….Sheryl and Don Crow.
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