Jake Lear - Lost Time Blues

www.jakelear.com

11 tracks

Total time: 47:42

Jake Lear, a Vermont native, has spent the last year playing on Beale Street in Memphis with Vic Charles and Roy Cunningham. Charles and Cunningham have both played for Albert King and others. Cunningham is also a former member of the Bar-Kays back when it was one of two Stax backing bands along with Booker T and the MGs. Jake is now learning from old school blues and R&B pros.

Alas, this tutelage is not apparent on Jake’s new CD Lost Time Blues. Lost Time Blues contains eleven songs mostly written by Jake except two classic blues songs and one with “borrowed” lyrics. On this CD, Jake channels his inner young Dylan on many of the tracks. The CD has a more singer-songwriter feel to it even though he has a full band. “Boogie Woogie Woman” has a great organ introduction and starts out with a bluesy feeling and then loses it.

“Blues 3 Ways” begins with a John lee Hooker/Canned Heat groove ala “Cutting Out” from the Healer CD but then morphs into something else before it’s final cadence back to “Cutting Out.” Some of the other songs have a rockabilly feel, even those written by ancient bluesmen. Singing the lyrics to a blues song does not make your version a blues song. Neither does putting the word “blues” in a title. The best song is “Bluebird.” It sounds heartfelt. This song gives the impression that this is the true Jake Lear and not him trying to be someone else.

Hopefully, Jake’s time on Beale Street will bear fruit on his next CD.