My default thinking when I receive a CD
to review the displays a Stratocaster prominently on the cover is, urgh,
here we go again, another Stevie Ray Vaughanabe. Downstater (IL) Jimmy
Warren’s CD, No More Promises displays a Stratocaster prominently on the
cover. However, rather than the over-the-top, I can blow you away attitude
of many Strat players, Warren’s tone is closer to Gary Moore and with this
collection of slow to mid-tempo songs, his emphasis is on fluidity over
being a note factory. Warren wrote and produced all the songs on the CD
and his band adds just the right amount of support--no show offs here.
Rhythm guitar chores are handled by John Digregorio; bass by Mike Boyle;
and drums by Charles Price. Warren sings, plays lead, sometimes Hammond
B-3 and bass.
One of Warren’s ongoing themes is money troubles.
“Watermelon Money,“ song one, is about trying to support a woman in the
manner she’s accustomed to on “watermelon money.” Warren finds himself a
“Mean Mistreater” on song two. Yes, Warren is not the most clever song
writer but he does avoid overused blues stories. Song three, “I’m Gonna
Love You,“ borders on an anthem and is reminiscent of Clapton’s “Wonderful
Tonight.“ The instrumental “Darker Shade of Grey,” contains a lot of
“Albatross” era Fleetwood Mac. Warren’s use of the humbucker on his Strat
most of the time produces a thick tone so favored by British blues
guitarists Warren seems to have heard. Back to Warren’s playing: on
headphones you can hear him play every note, even when doing fast runs,
Some players get so cluttered that the notes bleed into each other and it
becomes noise. Thank you Jimmy Warren for avowing this pitfall. Bob
Margoling guest on slide guitar for Warren’s “It Ain’t Fair,“ yet another
song about working for the man who makes all the money. At number five
this song is the first song that’s not slow-to moderate tempo.
Warning--Jimmy you may have lost some reviewers by this point--mix it up!
“Standing In My Shoes,“ again, brings in the plight of the worker whose
job has been outsourced. It’s and SRV-type shuffle but much appreciated at
this point in the near-bogged-down disc. Warren slows a bit for the title
track, “No More Promises.“ The final four songs remain in the moderate to
mid-tempo ranges. The closing song, “Send me On My Way,” will sound most
like the blues to most listeners.
Warren doesn’t have the
strongest voice or the most clever writing skills, but he seems to know
his strengths and those are arranging and playing tasty guitar. If you’d
like to hear a less-caffeinated Gary Moore, you might want to check out
Jimmy Warren. I was surprised in a pleasant way by Warren’s approach to
modern day blues with emphasis on guitar that won’t send you looking for a
harmonic CD. Recommended. And he’s local folks!
Reviewed by David Stine
Jimmy Warren may be the best guitar player you never heard of, and this cd
"No More Promises," is a very tasty introduction to his tremendous
talent. This is Jimmy's second release following "Live At Last" from
2009. Prior to that he took a decade off from the music business to help his
wife Lynn raise their family. For this review I listened to both discs, and
there are moments when I think I'm hearing Roy Buchanan, and that is very high
praise. Jimmy Warren has it all down--a wonderful thick expressive guitar tone,
incredible touch, a perfect sense of timing, and a good voice--and he uses it
here to share a dozen original songs. There are fast songs and slow songs--but
all all the songs are meat--no filler, no waste. The band is really good. Jimmy
Warren is on guitar and lead vocals, John DiGregorio is on rhythm guitar, Mike
Boyle is on bass and Charles Price is on drums. In addition, Warren's son Jimi
Dill plays a great slide guitar solo on "Mean Mistreater" and Bob
Margolin adds a guest spot on "It Ain't Fair." The best song here in
my opinion is "Darker Shade of Grey," which has an entire
encyclopedia's worth of great guitar work packed into less than four and a half
minutes--but listen to it yourself
Jimmy's new CD "No More Promises" features veteran blues legend Bob Margolin on Jimmy's
original "It Ain't Fair."
The mission of the blues from its evolution in the South after the Civil War onward, and the glorious results, has been to express the myriad joys and sorrows of life. As contemporary blues guitarist Jimmy Warren relates, “I was never the same after hearing my first Son House and Robert Johnson songs. There was something heartfelt and genuine coming from their music, it seemed real.” His experience is clearly in evidence on his first studio CD, No More Promises.
The new 12-song set of all originals as penned by Warren draws the listener in immediately with “Watermelon Money” a jazzy minor key progression that finds him decrying his inability to satisfy his woman’s desire for material possessions. He keeps the pot simmering on the hypnotic, minor key shuffle “Mean Mistreater,” digging into his frets with fire and conviction, masterfully building intensity and anticipation. Switching gears dynamically, he sings the plaintive ballad “”I’m Gonna Love You,” showing no reluctance in expressing his love minus the irony. With the requisite nod to Jimi Hendrix and the eighties rock he also admires, Warren moves effortlessly between Electric Lady soul and long, melodic solo lines featuring his signature gorgeous tone on the instrumental “Darker Shade of Grey.”
Dusky, late night blues return on the sexy slow drag “It Ain’t Fair,” a working man’s lament with Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin guesting on “Honey Bee” slide guitar. “Standing in My Shoes” is a chugging, well-oiled blues powered by an infectious, loping guitar riff as Warren strikes a blow for the unemployed in these tough economic times, letting loose his anger and chops in a slashing, biting solo.
The title track serves up a tasty slice of Southern-fried rock that belies Warren’s Midwest roots, allowing him to sing his lover’s tale of woe with passion while once again displaying his unerring knack for memorable melodies. “Love’s Gone Bad Again” mines even deeper lost love territory in a melancholy, minor key ballad where Warren plays his heart strings and guitar strings to maximum effect. Maintaining the momentum, Warren pleads his case to his woman on the folk rock of “It’s Been Too Long” as his guitar helps expose the bare wires of his soul. Likewise, “A Love That Hurts” rocks out with minor key angst and the declaration of, “Your love hurts, more than any other has.” “A Matter of Time” uses an anthem-like progression and organ backing to create a full-throated cry of love. Coming full circle, Warren saves his best chilling blues for last with the slow and dramatic “Sends Me on My Way” that
emphasizes the chasm between labor and management as he soars on his axe like an avenging angel of the working class. Jimmy Warren is as real as it gets. His blues and rock are heartfelt, genuine and deeply satisfying.
Dave Rubin
Staff Writer, Guitar Edge Magazine
Tracklist
1.Watermelon Money [3:24]
2.Mean Mistreater [4:07]
3.I'm Gonna Love You [4:44]
4.A Darker Shade of Grey [4:28]
5.It Aint Fair - (Featuring Bob Margolin) [4:50]
6.Standing In My Shoes [4:23]
7.No More Promises [3:35]
8.Loves Gone Bad Again [3:57]
9.It's Been To Long [4:19]
10.A Love That Hurts [4:10]
11.A Matter of Time [4:02]
12.Sends Me On My Way [3:43]
Guitar Sensation Jimmy Warren is a true artist and showman.
Bruce Igluaer of Alligator Records in Chicago said "Jimmy is a powerful guitarist with a great feel."
& Jimmy Warren has been consistently in the Blues City Radio Top Ten Blues Charts for Multiple weeks in 2009 & 2010
The Jimmy Warren Band provides well crafted music from their own perspective. The group features Jimmy Warren on Guitar & Vocals, Mike Boyle on Bass, Charles Price on Drums and John DiGregorio on Rhythm Guitar.
Jimmy Warren is known for his emotional performances and his noticeable guitar tone. Warren is a
guitarist that crosses genres in order to stay true to his originality. Jimmy's soulful and powerful vocals combined with this over the top guitar are what make his genuine and unique sound.
Warren was born in Kankakee, Illinois on October 25, 1964. He came to the guitar relatively late around 1989, but quickly made up for lost time. Completely self-taught, within a year he was playing professionally and has since performed with an eclectic list of artists including Buddy Miles, Junior Wells, Sugar Blue, Pat Travers, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Mack, Reo Speedwagon and Chris Duarte, among others. From 1998-2008 he took a hiatus from music to focus on his family, only to return better and more determined than ever. In 2009 the tight and driving Jimmy Warren Band of John DiGregorio (rhythm guitar), Mike Boyle (bass) and Charles Price (drums) released their first CD, Live at Last (Vision Records and Entertainment).
Mike Boyle - Bass
Mike was born on the south side of Chicago. He took up the bass in his mid teens on a bass he paid fifteen dollars
for. He went on to play in many types of bands, Rock, Hard Rock, Blues, R&B,
original and cover bands. Mike has played in many cities in the U.S. and has worked in
Europe. His most notable gig was with the late great Son Seals whose band he was a member of for a year and a
half. He also played on Byther Smith's Bullseye Blues release "I'm a Mad Man" which was recorded in Memphis and featured the Memphis
Horns. Songs from that CD have appeared on movie soundtracks and compilation CDs.
He was a member of the Chicago King Snakes, Mike Gibb and the Homewreckers,The Blues Posse and several
others. He has also gigged with or shared the stage with many blues greats such as Buddy
Guy, Phil Guy, Sam Lay, John Primer, Pistol Pete, Vino Louden (Koko Taylor) and many others. Mike plays 4 and 5 string basses and is excited about being a member of The Jimmy Warren
Band. Mike says" We have great chemistry and have a lot of fun playing together."
Charles Price - Drums
Charles Price's notable rhythms and soulful grooves create a solid foundation for the Jimmy Warren Band. Experienced in many genres and musical styles Charles got his start touring with Gospel notables, Calvin Bridges, Walt Witman, Ricky Grundy and Albertina Walker. While taking a break from performing Charles met drum legend Killer Ray Allison, who would take Price under his wing and train him to be a master on his instrument.
Killer Ray Allison introduced Price to blues greats such as: Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Willy Clayton and Sir Walter Scott. Price went on to be a member of the famed Chicago jazz group Snatch Inc. replacing veteran drummer Ty Hanson.
John DiGregorio - Rhythm Guitar
Guitarist John DiGregorio brings an authentic sound to the Jimmy Warren Band. Rooted in the heart of the blues, John's love for music and passion for the guitar can be clearly displayed in his approach to the instrument he loves. Being born in Memphis and growing up on Chicago's
Southside has played a part in defining his influences. Artists like Muddy Waters, BB King, Son Seals and Luther Allison have molded John into a dynamic guitarists. Even with such great influences, his line of sight is broader than one might think. His admiration for various musical styles and artist, shows in his approach to the guitar and in his various tonal selections.
John adds a variety to the Jimmy Warren Band sound. Through his structured lead playing, his cleaver rhythms and addition on key's, John helps the Jimmy Warren Band create and develop their sound. As an guitar instructor John appreciates and understands the hard work involved in developing yourself into a polished musician. John has an admiration for musical improvisation and shows that passion in his
performance with the Jimmy Warren Band.
