Once again, here I am about to discuss another CD from Canada.  The enormous amount of submissions I get from our neighbor to the north is interesting.  What I also find interesting is the enormous number of musicians that appear on most of these discs.  Rarely, or more accurately - never, do I ever receive a CD from the Canucks that consists of your basic guitarist, drummer and bassist.  Doing their best to keep the unemployment rate down, several different players on several different instruments are very commonly used.  Which, by the way, with the number of very qualified blues musicians living in that country, makes this a good thing.  It's been extremely pleasant to have been exposed to all of this wonderful talent.

 

    Having said that, let me now introduce you to the dozen stars that appear on RUSSELL JACKSONS "HAVE MERCY" CD.  Joining RUSSELL, on electric and acoustic bass, vocals, background vocals and tambourine are: KENNY "BLUES BOSS" WAYNE on piano, keyboards and B3 organ; THEO BROWN on drums; JOHNNY FERREIRA and STEVE HILLIAM on tenor sax; TERRY TOWNSON on trumpet; BRANDON ISSACS on lead and rhythm guitar, dobro, snare and high hat; DAVID HOERL on harmonica; ROBERT STEPHAN on lead and rhythm guitar and lap steel; RICK CHRISTOPHERSON on lead, rhythm and acoustic guitar; JOHN ELLIS on pedal steel; JEFF NYSTROM on background vocals.

 

    On the opening and title track, "HAVE MERCY", the lyrics tell a very real and very disappointing story.  RUSSELL points out that although the blues gave birth to Jazz and Rock & Roll - from which funk, R&B, soul, rap, hop, country and heavy metal all derived, the blues is barely ever mentioned in class and all they do is talk pop, classical, and a whole lot of jazz.  I share his sentiments as he sings to "Have mercy for the blues".

 

    Get ready to put on your "DANCIN' SHOES" when this track comes on.  It starts out with JOHNNY blowin' smoke out of the tenor sax and gets hotter with each players contributions, especially when the BLUES BOSS starts fanning the flames on piano.  Great vocals by RUSSELL and an all out jam session by the band make this one of the discs best.

 

    "TOSSIN' 'N TURNIN'", is sure to get you tappin' and snappin'.  Definitely another of the discs best.  The great rhythm that RUSSELL, THEO and KENNY lock into, the sharp - and I do mean sharp - harp blowin' by DAVID, the tremendous sounds coming from BRANDON'S dobro and the precision vocal harmony between RUSSELL and JEFF make this a hell of a toe tapping sing along.   

 

    It seems that a party RUSSELL was at got a bit too boisterous that "THEY RAIDED THE JOINT".  Don't ya just hate when that happens?  This hot shuffle is another of the many highlights on "HAVE MERCY".  This one features KENNY working his usual magic on piano, ROBERT supplying the hot guitar riffs and RUSSELL singing his heart out.

 

    "WORKING WITH MY BABY" is a soft, steamy ballad. The velvet vocals, the rustling rhythm, the gentle guitar, the tender tickling of the ivories and the sultry sounds of the sax make this one smolder.  The slow dancers will swoon over this one.

 

    "Other equally outstanding tracks - of which most are originals - on "HAVE MERCY" are: "SHOW ME THE DOOR", "TALK ATCHA", "A WOMAN NEEDS", "HOWLIN' AT THE MOON", "BRAND NEW LIFE", BECOMING THE BLUES", "LOVE ALL AROUND" and "FUNKY HIDE AWAY".

 

    Like me, you may be unaware that RUSSELL was B B KING'S bass player for about a dozen years.  To find out many of the other notable blues folk he played with, stop by his My Space page at .......... http://www.myspace.com/therusselljacksonbandpage.  While you're there, give him a shout and tell him Blewzzman sent ya.  While you're at it, pick up a disc as well.

 

    This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com