Customer Reviews

Comin Home

5 star:		(3)
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I first saw Jake in March of 1999. He was opening for Guy Davis up here in Anchorage, and my first reaction was wondering why this guy who looked a lot like a frat boy had any right to be playing a National. Then he started plucking away, and my jaw came close to hitting the floor. But then I remembered that most young bloods can't sing worth beans, and I figured at soon as his lips parted the spell would be broken. Then he opened his mouth, and my jaw went back to hanging out on the floor. I would not have been more surprised if Robert Johnson himself had risen from the grave and started howling away on stage.

Jake's got it. He's pretty good when he's playing electric with a band, but when it's just him and that National, he's really amazing. This album has that great Delta feel, and it's truly a treasure. I am one very happy Anchorageite - Jake may have moved on to warmer climes, but I still get to toss that CD in and hear that nice raw sound.

I recently serendipitously stumbled upon Jake and his National, performing in an odd and unassuming Los Angeles bar. I walked in mid-set to the intoxicating sound of a man breathing electrified fire and life into metal. The sound of a voice that caused my soul to raise up and shiver.

Soon afterward I thankfully discovered that Jake had been previously recorded. I hurriedly purchased "Comin Home", and slipped it in. All of the raw sensuality, angst, passion, expertise and Delta heart that I had joyously witnessed a few nights before, was now alive at my fingertips, mine to hear over and over again, which will be your natural inclination as well, once you've layed down your dough for this exquisite work of art. Hours and hours of auditory ecstasy lie ahead, get ready to put Bobby Johnson aside, cuz all your gonna need for a while, is more Jake.

Jake Matson finds the soul and the depth of the grand Blues Masters with every note he plays on his steel guitar to every growl which he emits through his throaty, authentic lyrics. He has studied the bends of Muddy Waters and the static of Robert Johnson with vivid detail, then creates a sound uniquely his own. His study of the Masters has earned him his Doctorate and should be a lesson for all young aspiring blues artists. My particular favorite is Savanah Town - a heartfelt ballad best enjoyed with a fine glass of wine by a lit fire place.