JIM ROBERTS AND THE RESONANTS
A MONTH OF SUNDAYS
SKEETERS–WHAT HER EVIL DO–BELLE OF THE BALL–A MONTH OF SUNDAYS–MADE A PROMISE–LONG HAIRED MISSISSIPPI HIPPIE–MISS HER LOVE–PAY THE PRICE–MOONSHINE MAIDEN–MISS MOTOR CITY 1963–I’M WALKIN’ ON–STEPPIN’ OUT
It’s been two years since slide guitar master, singer, and composer Jim Roberts And The Resonants last released an album. As such, this latest set from this L. A. -based group is titled “A Month Of Sundays!” The twelve cuts are all written or co-written by Jim and bassist Rick Hollander, who co-wrote six cuts, and doubles down on mandolin and banjolele on two cuts. These songs take the listener all along the Blues Highway, out west to up north, ending deep down in the Delta. The Resonants are some of the West Coast’s finest backing musicians also, all veterans of bands led by such stalwarts as Walter Trout, Philip Sayce, and Jack Roberts Harvey.
Opening the proceedings is the horn-driven, Southern soul of those pesky “Skeeters,” and, er, “hidin’ beneath the covers” to escape them! Everybody gets in a grungy, Southern-rock flavored groove in the story of the unwanted “Long Haired Mississippi Hippies” in Jim’s town, while his slide goes into full-on revenge mode after a lover does him wrong, because, “when you cut me deep, you’re gonna Pay The Price!” “Moonshine Maiden ” is pure, home-brewed acoustic Delta bliss, while our hero, as a teen, falls in love with a picture on his dad’s wall calendar, the irresistible “Miss Motor City 1963!”
Our favorite was easy. A Crossroads-ish, acoustic cautionary tale of cheatin’ women is described in “don’t let that red dress fool you,” fellows. It’s entitled What Her Evil Do,” and features, along with Jim on the slide, Joey Gomez on harp, and Rick Hollander on mandolin.
Jim Roberts And The Resonants are back with a bristling set of blues that crosses several musical boundaries. Yeah, it’s sho’ nuff been “A Month Of Sundays,” but, good stuff is always worth the wait! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow.
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