Laurence Jones
Take Me High
Ruf Records
LJ is really another of our ‘home team’ artists – an act we saw and met and interviewed early on, thanks to good representation and who we have only ever seen on top form. This notwithstanding Laurence’s constant struggles with health and the pressure of the competitiveness of the scene. His star has shone in recent times – increasing popularity in Europe and farther afield e.g. his inclusion in the NY Leadbelly Tribute show (and the London version of that show is reviewed by Glenn with Kieran’s gallery here: http://bit.ly/1ZTjtnn) plus the maintained excellence of his band, currently our man Roger Inniss on bass and newish drummer Phil Wilson shaping up well. Moreover his voice is one of the best, strong but not overwrought and never aping other vocalists though heaven knows he meets and tours with many greats like King King and KWS. His compositions seem to get better and better so he now has plenty of material to draw from. And that Telemaster guitar is really put through its paces when he arrives on stage.
I once spent an illuminating evening at producer Mike Vernon’s house Addlestone way talking Mac, Chicken Shack, Mayall, Savoy et al. This was before he moved out to Spain. He has been tempted back to work on this record with Laurence. Some neat keys work from Bob Fridzema enhances the recordings. I think some new stage favourites will emerge from this collection.
‘Got No Place To Go’ kicks the set off with a twisting riff over steady drumming and stalking bass with a greasy legato solo sliding out @ 1:30. Jones lets the nastiest notes hang and curl like a master;
‘Something’s Changed’ is a funkier item with the Leslie tone chugging away with the chordal mix of skank and heady strokes. Of course, Inniss sounds like a duck in warm water on this cut. The electric piano sounds very cool as the skittering guitar rolls around the song.
‘Live It Up’ isn’t the Isleys number (I’ll lend you the original Mayer Octavia if you ever want to do THAT one, Jones!) is pacey and stabbing, almost a touch of New Wave in there, but that’s before Laurence’s time…like everything else (sigh); ‘Addicted To Your Love’ is truly heavy, subterranean bass and dirty axework, treated vocal almost evoking Soundgarden. There is so much music history to draw on now, for an artist of this age. Same goes for painters.
I Will is a mellower song with a sweet melody and well handled; the rippling beauty of ‘Thinking About Tomorrow’ provides a real highlight, splendid vocal as Jones becomes the young nostalgic. Happens to us all, amigo! ‘Take Me High’ is the filthy, measured blues side of Laurence that serves him well on stage, snappy hammer-ons and all. Maybe a bit more delay on the vocal, Mike ? This is where the spirit of John Lee Hooker lives on in today’s music, not least in Roger’s steady bass figures which walk in and out of time with aplomb.
‘Down & Blue’ is contemporary blues and a steady performance; ‘The Price I Pay’ takes a New Orleans tempo and some trilling Paul Jones harmonica and hence we arrive at the closing cut which has Reuben Richards for a run at ‘Higher Ground’, the Stevie Wonder song. It’s pretty old now but here it sounds fresh as a daisy in Listerine, the guitar figures lurching out of the tune as it pumps along with lively drumming and a neat tempo change here and there
Lucky us if we hear a better album this year.
Pete Sargeant
Laurence Jones’s fourth studio album ‘Take Me High is released by Ruf Records on Friday 22nd July 2016. For tour dates and more information you can read our announcement here: http://bit.ly/293m0YC
(Thanks to Laurence, Golly and Ruf Records)
