BluesWax, April 2008: Country Blues From The Duwamish Delta, (04/23/08)
Solo acoustic artist Son Jack Jr. calls his music "Country Blues with Attitude." The Seattle-based guitarist, who originally hails from London, has obviously studied the legends of the genre. Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson, and also John Lee Hooker have all left their marks on his sound. This 12-song CD, which predates his current When the Devil Calls release, is a solid collection of mostly original material.

Save for the odd harmonica accompaniment, the guitarist does all the playing and singing. He's a strong resonator player with a warm, non-intimidating voice. Though vocally he occasionally comes across as a tad polite for the Blues, for the most part he takes an earnest approach, perhaps the result of his having returned to making music after an extended hiatus. That's evident right from the get-go on the Hooker-inspired "Peace of Mind Blues" and again a couple of tracks later on "Crazy Blues."

The mournful "Dearly Departed Blues," an instrumental, echoes Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night" and is one of a pair of standout cuts. The other, "Howling Poppet" (according to one online dictionary "poppet" is a British term for "darling"), features some of his most impressive percussive guitar playing and an intriguing narrative. Serviceable covers of Robert Johnson, Charlie Musselwhite, and R.L. Burnside round out just over a half-hour of music.

Son Jack Jr. doesn't reinvent or embellish the Country Blues much on his debut release, but his accomplished playing and songwriting skills make him an artist to watch.

Rootstime, April 2008

Son Jack Jr. is alive and well! Singer/songwriter/guitarist Son Jack Jr. lives in Seattle, WA. And has one great passion: the blues and mainly Delta Blues. In fact he grew up in London and has played the guitar since the age of 9. Late in the 70s and early 80s he was on tour but retreated from the music scene in 1983. But now, after 25 years, he is back with his debut album ‘Introducing… Son Jack Jr’, published in 2006, and now ‘When The Devil Calls’. An unforeseen comeback by the man who proves with his National Resphonic and Martin guitars that he still knows how to play the guitar, and has gained in songwriting. Inspired by the guitar of (amongst others) Skip James and Blind Willie Johnnson, we see why tracks like Skip James’ ‘Devil Got My Woman’ and Blind Wille johnson’s ‘Soul of a Man’ could not be missing on this record, also Eddie Vinson’s ‘Cleanhead Blues’ may be the highlight of this surprising CD. 13 Tracks made it to ‘When the Devil Calls’, 10 of which written by Son Jack Jr himself. As a whole this reminds you of the good old blues, a mix of inspirations by prewar blues masters, giving Son Jack Jr ample room to slide and finger pick. He plays calmly and sensitively, but can also be totally aggressive, as in the opening tracks ‘ I’m Son Jack Jr’ and ‘ Dance of the Living Dead’, songs that set the tone for the full record. Personally I find, next to the appropriately named and rocking ‘Dance of the Living Dead’ the calm old time country picking of ‘If I Should Fall’, the guitar heavy ‘North Wind’, and the songs ‘It Could Be Worse’ and the instrumental ‘The Lynching tree’ that respectively could be written by Fred McDowell and Skip James, to be the most outstanding tracks on this album, songs where Son Jack Jr proves to be also an outstanding song writer. ‘When the Devil Calls’ is not something to party on, on the contrary, Son Jack Jr knows how to hold your attention, that much is certain. Moreover, he makes you shiver. His beautiful voice, his perfectly timed licks and his never ceasing love for the Mississippi Delta amaze me. To summarize: Welcome back, Son Jack Jr! Back with an album where his own songs impressed me from the first time I listened to them. He lives and tells the blues as he experiences them himself. Uncut blues in its purest form, passionate and full of life are the sound of 'When The Devil Calls.'

http://www.rootstime.be/CD%20REVIEWS/2008/2008-APRIL2.htm#11

Blind Man's Blues Forum, April 2008

Just finished listening to the Son Jack Jr. album "When the Devil Calls" which I received courtesy of the last BBF giveaway (Thanks Blue Boss & Son Jack Jr.) I've only listened through it once but I like what I hear so far. There are a few nice covers including Blind Willie Johnson's "Soul of a Man" and Skip James "Devil Got My Woman" but the standout tracks are really the originals. Son's compositions are all done in a very traditional country/Delta Blues Style without being so reverent that they lose their edge. My favorite tracks include a dark atmospheric instrumental called "The Lynching Tree" and "It Could Be Worse" which chugs along with a powerful Mississippi Fred McDowell inspired guitar. In fact, the guitar playing is excellent throughout. However, to my ears the best song also has the least guitar - the gentle ballad "If I Should Fall" shines for it songwriting and the honesty in the vocal delivery. It's a good effort from one of our own.  Napoleon Tabion - www.myspace.com/naptabion

http://blindman.forumhoster.com

Blues Underground Network, March 2008

Every now and then a musical treasure arrives at my door. Not long ago 2 such treasures arrived by the name of "When The Devil Calls" and "Introducing...Son Jack Jr.", both courtesy of Son Jack Jr., an amazingly talented player and singer of the Delta Blues. Fans of the Delta Blues will quickly fall in love with the unique way Son Jack Jr. offers his special interpretation of that style. "When The Devil Calls" and "Introducing...Son Jack Jr." are both hypnotic in nature, and will bring a smile to face and yes maybe even a tear in your eye, especially Track 4 off of "When The Devil Calls", If I Should Fall. "When The Devil Calls" and "Introducing...Son Jack Jr." are a must have collection for any true fan of the Blues...

John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)

http://www.bluesundergroundnetwork.com/Son_Jack_Jr_CD.html

REVIEW OF "When The Devil Calls" - Bluesletter, April 2008

From the opening notes of When the Devil Calls, the sophomore record from Son Jack Jr., one thing is evident: This guy can play.

The obvious influence of the prewar blues masters can be heard throughout the record, but Son Jack Jr. doesn’t really sound like any of them. He possesses a strong singing voice and his own distinct songwriting style.

Son Jack tends to pack more lyrics into his songs than did his prewar forebears. This rapid-fire approach works well on several songs, particularly the leadoff tracks, “I’m Son Jack Jr.” and “Dance of the Living Dead.” But Son Jack is at his most powerful when he leaves more room for his lyrics to breath, as on the moving “If I Should Fall.” When he allows his guitar to do all of the talking, as on the instrumental “The Lynching Tree,” the effect is hair-raising.

Most of the 13 tracks on When The Devil Calls are originals, and the three covers are well-chosen, particularly Son Jack’s take on Skip James’ “Devil Got My Woman.”

He experiments with various tempos and tunings throughout, resulting in a nicely varied record that avoids the slumber-inducing tendencies of too many solo acoustic albums.

For those in search of something both new and familiar at the same time, When the Devil Calls offers a fine solution. It’ll be interesting to see where Son Jack goes from here.

REVIEW of 2/12/098 Highway 99 show - Bluesletter, March 2008

He's originally from London and has merged into the soil of the Mississippi delta.  Original back porch, acoustic blues that's flavored with the founders of this art form.  If you have a soul his music connects to it.  While listening I closed my eyes and the music reached as deep as the music of Aric Riley or Terry Robb, two big time names in Portland's blues scene.  His song "Poor Man" was my personal favorite and he said it came from his personal life.  He also performed some music deeply rooted in Gospel, which is a solid twin sibling of the blues.

REVIEW OF "When The Devil Calls" - Blues To Do, March 2008

On his new album, local guitarist, songwriter, and singer Son Jack Jr. tackles three classic blues songs and adds ten of his own. Jack learned well at the feet of the blues masters at Centrum’s Country Blues workshops in Port Townsend. His finger picking and slide playing are clean, punchy, yet subtle on Skip James’s “Devil Got My Woman” and Blind Willie Johnson’s “Soul of a Man.” He pulls out all the humor on Eddie Vinson’s “Cleanhead Blues,” a rueful ode to the formerly hirsute—real roots music. (Judging from the picture on the CD, Jack is prematurely ribald.) His own tunes are tastefully played and well-conceived. “North Wind” features a kick-ass guitar part, while “It Could Be Worse” could’ve come from the fingers of Fred McDowell. The rocking “Dance of the Living Dead” will resonate with anyone who’s ever worked a stultifying high-tech office job. The standout on the album is “The Lynching Tree,” an atmospheric instrumental played in the open D-minor tuning associated with Skip James. From the evidence here, Jack knows how to compose and play; you’ll want to loop this on your Zune or iPod.

Cruising for Blues blog - October 2007

Son Jack Jr seduced the audience with his old time blues. With his vocals and instrument he's a one man act which is simple, sofisticated, brash and confidently intoxicating.

http://cruisingforblues.com/2007/10/06/michael-powers-at-the-tulalip.aspx

REVIEW OF “Introducing….Son Jack Jr.” - June 2007 - Bill Mattocks (www.billmattocksband.com)

My good friend Roy Brown introduced me to Son Jack Jr. at the April WBS meeting this year. I’ve had the pleasure of listening to his debut CD “Introducing….Son Jack Jr.” for the last two months. It features Son Jack playing twelve tracks of mostly acoustic Country and Delta style Blues.

Son Jack shines on his slide guitar proficiency. My favorite is solo instrumental track four called “Dearly Departed Blues” and to me is somewhat reminiscent of Ry Cooder. I love the slide overtones. I also like the third track a lot. It’s called “Crazy Blues” and fits right in with my philosophy of life. Of course part of the reason I like this track so much is it includes the very talented Harp Man, Kim Field. He also adds to track one “Peace of Mind Blues” and track 12 “Thousand Miles Blues”. All of the tracks are Son Jack Jr. originals except tracks six “Dust My Broom” (Robert Johnson), seven “Stingaree” (Charlie Musselwhite) and eleven “Black Mattie” (RL Burnside). These are excellent versions of these classic blues songs.

All in all Son Jack Jr. is a very talented man and he is a great addition to our already wonderful palette of Acoustic Blues performers in the greater Seattle area. I highly recommend the addition of this CD to any music lover’s library. I look forward to seeing this very talented musician in a live performance.