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Blues Underground Network |
J Edwards "Lulu's House"
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With a voice reminiscent of Long John Baldry, J Edwards has no problem belting out the Blues and belting out the Blues he does to perfection, on his new release, "Lulu's House". With a voice as unique and strong as J Edwards you would think he would be content with just that talent, but you would be wrong. You see J Edward is another one of those rare Artists whom simply isn't content just doing a little, no he wants to do it all, and boy when he does, he sure gets it right. J Edwards started his craft from a very early age, and I do mean early. At 5 he started to strum on the old guitar and a year later he started taking piano lessons. This all melded into the making him not only the extraordinary musician he is today, but also the extraordinary writer he is, as well. That fact is ever present and certainly brought to the forefront in "Lulu's House". "Lulu's House" consists of 10 irresistible tracks, all written by J Edwards solely, except for 1 which was written with Craig Allen Reynolds. All 10 tracks are more than just musical ear candy, these are songs that lyrically grab your attention and although their are a few on the more edgier side, they are still very tactfully done. J Edwards is, of course, more than able to get away with that, because he fully understands how the Legends of the past worked their magic with such songs. What struck me right off the bat with, J Edwards, was the command that he possessed over not only his material, but ultimately his audience. from the opening few moments of the first track to the dying notes of the last, you became hooked, by his hooks, and when it was all said and done, you could have not been more sure that the time you took listening to "Lulu's House", was anything but wasted. In the final analysis one can't help but take in, J Edwards music, like a breath of fresh air. Unique and entertaining lyrics, combined with instrumental and vocal expertise makes for a must have Album to anyones collection. Getting acquainted with "Lulu's House", was a very entertaining experience and it is an Album and J Edwards is an Artist I highly recommend fans of great music get familiar with. Review By John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
Other Info And Reviews Blues stories from Chicago to New Orleans, South Carolina to Texas told by the most compelling voice in three decades. A street musician playing Carnegie Hall. The Following Review Was Posted in CD Picks by darielb on August 10, 2010 I’ve been following the career of Columbia, S.C. musician J Edwards for just over a year. I first heard him at a club in Columbia and was struck immediately by the soulful vocals he delivered. Then I got hold of a couple earlier CDs: Watcha Doin’ (2006), which is mainly acoustic blues; and Everything Changes (2008), electrified and less bluesy, with a full band. The musical arrangements along with the same raw, gut-sucking vocals convinced me to include Everything Changes in my CD Picks (February 11, 2010). Long story short, when J Edwards told me he was hard at work on a new blues CD, I was giddy with anticipation and more anxious for it than a school girl shopping for her first brassiere. I’m happy to report that LuLu’s House hits home in a big way. This ten-track recording overflows with goose-bumpin’ vocals, boot-stompin’ blues and heartstopping musicianship. LuLu’s House beckons us in to meet some good ole down home folks and share in the sumptuous buffet of Southern life. It’s all about eatin’ and leavin’, leavin’ and eatin’. LuLu sets the tone for a warm, if irreverent group of House dwellers. There’s not a loser in the bunch. Track one, “Aint Gonna Be ?Your Dog” is a love song, but he suspects she’s leaving, so he sets some rules. And I bet LuLu approves.
Baby when you’re home, you walk away
from me Track two is also about leaving. “You Told Me You Loved Me” is a heartachy tune about life’s shortcomings and love’s disappointments. Between vocals by J Edwards and signature guitar work from Nashville artist Rickey Godfrey, you’ll be feeling this straight ahead blues tune.
You said you loved me At LuLu’s House, love is definitely a double-edged sword. According to J, “New Shoes” is his take on Northern blues. The shoes are dapper, the coat is fancy and this boy is “whistlin’ while he’s walkin’.” Leavin’ again. Edwards told me that most of these tunes have been around for years. He said, “I wrote them back when I was playing the Columbia blues clubs every weekend, so when I decided to do another CD, I came up with some different arrangements of blues ideas and songs I’d written. In fact, ‘I Got a Woman’ is one of those songs.” “I Got a Woman” is the standout tune off the CD. It features plaintive vocals by J and more searing guitar licks from Rickey Godfrey. J says response to the tune has been phenomenal. “It’s a solid blues song – simple progressions, simple lyrics … but every blues player I’ve jammed with falls in love with it. Someone will say, ‘Hey, if you’re going to do that song, I wanna play guitar on it.’ I was in Nashville earlier this year, at the Pro Blues Jam with Tim Gonzalez, the Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar in Printer’s Alley. Rickey Godfrey was on guitar. I think it was maybe the second or third time he played it and … whoa!” There’s a video of that performance on YouTube. You can see it for yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2E5cv25Zcs . A side story to that, J told me he had really enjoyed the guys jamming with him that night. Back at the studio, he said the same to producer Mike O’neil , mentioning the bass player, in particular. O’neil knew the guy (Gere Hoffman) and worked with him often, so he wound up playing on the CD, too. “Taste” is another “taste of somethin’ good,” with lusty, whisky-edged vocals and a performance by the backing band that is solid on its own, but never steps on the vocals. Rickey Godfrey, a top drawer vocalist in his own right, explains it like this: “J’s vocals are so strong, so huge, I think we all just tried to stay out of his way, and let him put it out there. No one wanted to play over him, we wanted to support him. It’s not every day you have a vocalist like this to work with.” Track eight, “Come On In the Bedroom,” is another of my favorites, for the pure lustfulness of it. And again, great band work. But what about the CD title? I wanted to know where LuLu’s House came from. “I remember, as a kid,” J Edwards says, “that everyone had songs about LuLu … and some of them were kinda dirty … so this is my song about LuLu: “Eatin’ About LuLu’s.” “You know, you see people on the side of the road sometimes with signs ‘Will Work For Beer.’ They’re honest about it. “Well, this guy, this street musician may drink some, but it’s really about the food.” He can “eat down to LuLu’s for 65 cents …” He just wants some pancakes. When LuLu’s House turns out to be a cathouse, too, our boy’s not opposed to sharing her bed, but it’s still the “biscuits and hamhocks” he’s really lusting for. And that’s where LuLu’s House came from. Check out the tuba. Makes you feel like you’re on the streets of New Orleans somewhere, ready to head on over to LuLu’s. For the food. Players on LuLu’s House include: vocals, J Edwards; piano and organ, Larry Van Loon; drums and percussion, Mike O’neil; bass, Gere Hoffman; guitar, Kenne Cramer; harmonica, J Edwards; additional guitar on “I Got a Woman” and “You Said You Loved Me, Rickey Godfrey; additional bass on “Eatin’ at Lulu’s” and “Taste,” Kevin Grantt; saxophone, “Summer’s Waiting,” Dana Robbins; tuba on “Eatin’ at LuLu’s,” Matt Glassmeyer. Recorded at Serenity Hill Studios, Nashville, Tenn; producer, Mike O’neil; engineer, Brian Tortoro; mix, Mark Polack; mastered at Serenity Hill by Mike O’neil and Mark Polack. Tracklist
1. Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog 5:08 Listen To Samples Here... About J Edwards You can’t ask for a better, more complete package than J Edwards. He is songwriter, musician, arranger and one of the most awesome vocalists of our time. This voice is everything. It is compelling and powerful, soft and surly, breathtaking and binding. Combining voice with an uncanny knack for writing the lyrical conversation “you” always wanted to say, is what makes J Edwards a superb and relieving performer. Every song is a living thing and J Edwards holds it out for you to take. Old school, new school and everything between is what you get from the first moment hearing J Edwards. Simple refrains from this powerful voice become the anthems of this day no matter the age. Singer/Songwriter or Songwriter/Singer, after listening to a few songs, it’s still undetermined. Lyrical compositions that anyone can relate to, wonderful musical arrangement, and a voice that could carry the weight of the crowd makes J Edwards an awesome experience. There has never been a time when J Edwards wasn’t performing somewhere for someone. Strumming a guitar at age 5 and piano lessons at age 6 brought out the singer/songwriter that has grown into the communicator today. In his teens, J was given the hand clapping, foot-stomping “hollering” songs in the old church choir. After traveling the states and a short tour in the UK, J settled in South Carolina to work on writing and rest for a spell. 15 years ago J began working again in Columbia, SC and was soon voted “Best Blues Band” in Columbia. Although the genre changed around 2008 with the release of "Everything changes" to more Americana music, the raw sound was still prevalent in his songs. Now after signing with Lonesome Road Agency, he has returned to the scene with a full-on Blues album recorded with some of the finest players in Nashville. He has “jammed” with Joe Sample and lately opened for the legendary Leon Russell. J Edwards is currently touring the south and promoting his latest album “LuLu’s House” on Serenity Hill Records with Lonesome Road Agency. http://www.jedwardsband.com/index.html http://www.myspace.com/jedwardsband
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