Alex Jenkins & The Bombers - Creepin After Midnight

Self Release

Time-40:17

www.reverbnation.com/#/alexjenkinsthebombers

This Chicago native and cohorts offer juke joint styled blues with a touch of soul, funk and jazz. Alex surely knows his way around Chicago style blues guitar technique. He lays his lead guitar over his own rhythm guitar playing to give the music a firmer foundation. Alex grew up on Chicago’s southwest side where he would peer through the windows of the blues clubs to watch Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and others. What he lacks in vocal range he more than makes up for with his unbridled enthusiasm and love for the genre. Basically a three piece here with sax by Dennis Lansing on three tracks. All ten songs are band compositions steeped in blues goodness.

“Let’s Stick Together” is a nice jump blues featuring a fine bass solo by Mike Crisp. Chicago hipster cool is displayed on “Look What The Cat Dragged In”, a tale of an old girlfriend returning. The guitar playing on this one “rips her a new one”. The saxes are overdubbed to create a sax section giving things a boost. A boogie with Chuck Berry leanings is the propulsive “Good Bye Baby Blues”. The title tune displays the funkier side of Chicago blues with the always rock-steady rhythm section pulsing things along. A change of pace is offered up in the slow-burning blues of “Over You” wherein Alex squeezes every bit of emotion out of his guitar. Another change of pace is the slow soul-blues “Back In My Arms Again”. The swamp-growl used on “Mojo Woman” is an obvious affectation. Too many blues bands feel a need to perform a “mojo” song seemingly as a way to display their hipness. The music on this one is just fine, but the lyrics have little substance.

All-in-all a solid showing on this recording. Alex has surely been staying up late doing his homework absorbing blues guitar technique. He has the styles down pat and gives them a sharp attack His vocals are adequate for this type of music. The guys of the rhythm section reinforce the grooves throughout. Alex and his brothers Tim and Ben produce modern blues rooted in the foundations of the past.