Jump Back Jake: A Little Bit Of Rock With A Lot Of Soul
February 12, 2009 by Scott
When you write for a rock and metal blog you get offers for reviews from various places. Sometimes it’s a PR group and sometimes it’s a label. Some of the bands are big and some are small. The bigger names and labels you kind of have an idea of what you’re going to get. With smaller labels and indie bands you never really know what to expect. Sometimes it’s really good and sometimes it’s so bad that you wish you never heard it. Thankfully this time it’s one of those pleasantly surprising bands.
Jump Back Jake first reminded me of a southern rock act, almost sounding too closely to Bo Bice and The Black Crowes in the beginning of the first track on Brooklyn Hustle/Memphis Muscle called Easy Answers. That all changes after the first song though. They keep a southern rock vibe yet it all gets infused with a lot of soul and blues sound and even has a bit of an Al Green feel to it. The horns in songs like The Flood, Sampson and Pay It Out The Front End keep things interesting all around. You just don’t hear mush horn work from a modern band. It definitely made this album a pleasure to listen to. The slower ballads like Maybe Tennessee and Too Cool For Love both have such a nice and easy solidarity to them that you just don’t get with many bands these days.
You can learn more about Jump Back Jake and their debut album Brooklyn Hustle/Memphis Muscle at Jumpbackjake.com, where you can also stream the Brooklyn Hustle album and find links to buy it on iTunes if you dig it. Jump Back Jake will also be one to watch out for at SWSX this year.
Image: Ardent Music
Terrible Mistakes is the best track on the album.
I like Terrible Mistakes too, but I haven’t listened enough to really pick a favorite track yet. The band just has such a great vibe to their sound that it has made me realize that I need to break out of anything mainstream and find more bands like this!
Scott: Thanks very much for taking the time to check out the JBJ record.
Not quite sure what it is that is so refreshing, but it is definitely derived from the players themselves. It is a band that, to me, is not unlike Booker T and The MGs. Players with character of their own, but something really special together.
Disclaimer: I work for Ardent Music. Didn’t know much about the band until they finished the record. I became a bigger fan the more I was exposed to the band both live and on record. Seems like they are starting to catch people’s attention.
SXSW will be a lot of fun. They play two shows. We still need times on them.
Jody Stephens
My favorite track is The Flood but I love Terrible Mistakes too. Great review and here’s the latest on when and where they’re playing at SXSW…
Thurs, Mar 19 (Time TBD – We know it will be between 12:00-3:00P) SXSW: Brush Square Park – West Tent – Austin, Texas
Fri, Mar 20 (7:00P) SXSW: Mother Egan’s – Austin, Texas