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Fresh Blood Live - New Life

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FRESH BLOOD - LIVE - NEW LIFE - Liner Notes

This review was written for this CD By:
Scott Yanow,
Author of ten books including The Jazz Singers, Trumpet Kings, Jazz On Film and Bebop, All Music Guide
You can see a copy of these notes inside the CD.

Once again Jay Gordon the legendary rock blues guitar virtuoso and vocalist proves there are no limitations or boundaries within rock and blues music. Fresh Blood - Live - New Life, is captivating and penetrating, filled with shredding and tasteful innovative guitar solos and killer soulful vocals, a powerful trio second to none, bringing new life to these classic tracks and turning the old into new gems.

Throughout his career, Jay Gordon has become famous for his slashing guitar solos, his passionate vocals, and his dedication to the blues. While his inspirations have included Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, he does not sound like any of his predecessors and has long had his own distinctive voice. Never interested in merely recreating the past, Jay has moved the blues forward to the 21st century, infusing the music with the fire and power of rock while carving out his own place in the music world. Others have taken notice and he was honored as the best blues/rock guitarist at the 2007 Real Blues Annual Awards in Canada , his latest in a long series of awards. Crowds throughout the United States and Europe have been very impressed by his intense playing and his series of memorable recordings.

On New Life, Jay Gordon presents his new band, the Penetrators. In 2007 while playing at a jam session that he was running at Lake Elsinore, he heard a female voice repeatedly shouting "Turn the guitar up!" After the set, he met the blues lover, a talented bassist and singer, Sharon Butcher. Soon they were jamming together and Jay was very impressed. "Sharon is a very solid bass player who never over plays and likes to lock in with the drummer. She is also a very good rock and blues singer, putting a lot of emotion into her singing and she has great phrasing." Within a short time, Jay and Sharon decided to team up and form a new trio. They played concerts with different drummers, going through 15 before they found the right one, Abe Perez. "Abe and Sharon really rock. From the first time Sharon, Abe and I jammed, I knew it was right. Abe is powerful and understands the concept of playing what is needed for a song. They both play with feeling, leaving me free to do what I want. It is rare to get a group together that has this kind of chemistry."

Jay Gordon is a talented songwriter and he loves to really stretch out during his dazzling solos, so New Life is a change-of-pace although a logical evolution from his past recordings. The performances are concise and the repertoire is comprised of eight standards from the rock and blues worlds. But these are not mere revivals or recreations, for Jay and his group reinvent and modernize the classics. "Whenever I choose to perform a cover song, I wouldn't do it unless I can make the song mine, putting my own stamp on it while doing the song justice. On this program, I take older songs and rock them, changing the melody, adding new guitar leads and coming up with completely new arrangements than the earlier versions."

The eight performances on New Life were recorded at 2008's first Bike Rally of the year in San Bernardino . The music was performed at the Screaming Chicken, an old roadhouse that has a large outside stage with room for 2,000 enthusiastic fans. There are no overdubs so this is what the trio sounds like live in concert, and they sound unlike any other group.

The set begins with Willie Dixon's "Good Morning Little School Girl." Jay gives the standard a brand new guitar pattern that makes the tune sound brand new. He takes an expressive vocal (with Sharon singing background) and unleashes his guitar in an explosive solo.

Sharon Butcher is in the spotlight during the Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit." Her voice is haunting, she puts plenty of feeling into the words, and she makes the 40-year old song sound modern. "Heartbreaker," from Grand Funk Railroad, has a powerful and impassioned vocal duet with both Jay and Sharon sharing the spotlight and singing their hearts out. It is a joy to hear the two of them interacting and singing with such passion.

While "Honky Tonk Woman" was made famous by the Rolling Stones, it is fair to say that the Penetrators sound nothing at all like the Stones. Jay belts out his vocal while his guitar rages. His solo is both intense and melodic, and Sharon is quite effective singing in the background behind his vocal. A lot of music takes place within this concise performance.

Del Shannon/Bonnie Raitt "Runaway" is a perfect vehicle for Sharon 's vocals. Her voice is not one that can be forgotten easily for she sings with passion, sincerity and a great deal of musicality. Her singing clearly inspires Jay's blazing guitar.

"Rock Me" gives Jay Gordon an opportunity to stretch out on a low-down blues. While he has performed many different arrangements of this song in his career, each version sounds fresh for Jay is a blues man to the core.

Wynonna Judd's "That Was Yesterday" is a different kind of blues and showcases Sharon 's voice, making the song sound as if it were written for her. The set concludes with Marshall Tucker's "Can't You See," a famous rock number performed by the Penetrators in a catchy, inviting and fresh new way.

One of the most accessible of Jay Gordon's recordings, New Life features the guitarist staying true to his roots in blues and rock while introducing his new band featuring the memorable Sharon Butcher and Abe Perez. It is not at all surprising that the crowd at the Screaming Chicken went crazy over the music, for the brilliance and passion of the playing and singing, along with the creative arrangements, are not to be denied.

With the right distribution and marketing, this cd will be in the hearts and homes of every rock and blues fan.

Scott Yanow,
Author of ten books including The Jazz Singers, Trumpet Kings, Jazz On Film and Bebop, All Music Guide