Testify!

Rocky Jackson - Testify! (High Life Records) Though a proud son of the Lone Star state that has produced an extraordinary number of blazing guitar slingers, Rocky Jackson goes to the heart of the blues where the seductive groove and emotional expression meet like quot;the Southern crossing the dog.quot; On his new CD he digs into the deep mojo of the southwest as well as Chicago and the Delta, and the result is a rare treat for the body and soul. Of course, quot;Tquot; for Texas also stands for quot;tonequot; and Jackson has it pouring out of his guitar like boiling molasses. Ernest W. quot;Rockyquot; Jackson III was born May 29, 1947 in Austin, Texas. Completely self-taught, he started playing bottleneck and lap steel in the sixties after seeing Hound Dog Taylor perform. Surprisingly, a move to L.A. in the seventies allowed him the chance to play more straight ahead blues on the active Southern California scene. From 1980-88 he was a member of the Magic Blues Band that backed many blues luminaries, including George quot;Harmonicaquot; Smith, Paul Butterfield and Coco Montoya. He cut Blue Streak as a trio and following the recording of Squeeze Here in 2006, Jackson recruited the backing band for live performances. He opens his 13-song set of covers and originals with a dark version of Muddy Waters' quot;I Just Want to Make Love to You,quot; making it a hypnotic incantation of raw carnality inflamed by his stinging lead licks. His original quot;Big Legs Don't Mean Fatquot; follows with a jaunty shuffle and wry lyric content that declaims, quot;Those fine long legs, man, is where it's at.quot; quot;Voodoo Spellquot; gets all funky with a spooky guitar/bass unison lick contributed by guest bassist Hank Van Sickle that is driven forward by the fatback drumming of Eliot Witherspoon. Visiting primary roots, Jackson offers his creative take on the Robert Johnson classic quot;Stop Breakin' Down.quot; With harmonicist Michael Fell filling and soloing on his quot;Mississippi saxophone,quot; Jackson sings with controlled passion that perfectly complements his razor sharp slide accompaniment. A pilgrimage to the West Side of Chicago produces the minor key quot;Like Magicquot; that pays homage to Magic Sam. A musical spell is cast on the saucy, slow blues instrumental with Fell's warbling harp and Jackson's rhythm guitar before the leader opens up with a solo of uncompromising lyricism. quot;I Wanna Testify (About My Baby)quot; shuffles in with a swinging, finger-snapping bounce given buoyancy by bassist Joel T. Johnson as Jackson extols the virtues of his woman. As opposed to many of his contemporaries, he sings the blues with unforced authenticity that is totally convincing. John Lee quot;Sonny Boyquot; Williamson's quot;Early in the Morningquot; finds Jackson and Fell dueting like a modern day Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. Powered by a churning bass string riff, the tune subtly rocks as it sets a flexible foundation from which Jackson soars and Fell explores the upper range of his harmonica. Without breaking stride the band transitions smoothly into the epic, heavyweight slow blues of quot;Shoulda Never Left Texasquot; featuring an extended, smoldering intro and two devastating solos from Jackson. The centerpiece of the disk and a vocal and instrumental showcase, it is a jaw-dropper that will have aspiring blues guitarists scurrying to the woodshed. Jackson's voice drips with world-weary resignation as he defiantly responds to his quot;bluesquot; by screaming and crying through his axe. quot;Chicken-Legged Womanquot; is a dynamic change of pace as Jackson overdubs two acoustic guitar parts