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MP3 Jimmy and the Sleepers - BLUES: Chicago Style
12 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Chicago Style, BLUES: Electric Blues
Details:
* The Edmonton Sun (Sun., December 11,2005.)
TRUE BLAST OF CHICAGO BLUES
Jimmy and the Sleepers
SB Records
4 out of 5
The old axiom is that if you want something done right, you do it yourself.
In the case of Edmonton guitar ace Jim Guiboche (pronounced Ge-Bosh), that means producing the debut disc for his local band, playing lead throughout... and having the humility to realize a band leader is only as good as his supporting cast.
The result is stunningly impressive.
Guiboche, who had help from an angel investor, has spared no expense in putting out a kicking, top quality release, replete with the obligatory guest star in the form of Big Dave McLean.
Flash and packaging only go so far, however, and the music has to stand on it''s own.
So far So good. Jimmy and the sleepers is as good as any of the better major label releases I''ve seen this year, and better than most.(And I should note, the thank you in the liner notes to yours truly wasn''t noticed until after the review was finished. Note to other independents: Don''t plug journalists. It makes it look like their taking sides.)
It''s a kicking mix of Chicago style blues, blending Guiboche''s reverby tone with some excellently phrased harp from Dave (Crawdad) Cantera.
Solid rhythm is provided by Chris Brzezicki (the first z is silent folks) on upright bass and Grant stovel on drums. The vocals are handled in able - and occasionally downright inspiring - fashion by Guy Gagne, better known around here as Big Guy Slim.
They kick it off with a homage to reptiles on the James Harmon tune Snakes, which surprisingly is one of the few songs in which Slim is less than imposing.
It might''ve been a better idea to start with the second cut, which is listed as The Blues Seem to Follow Me (a title for the same cut used by Little Milton), but it is actually Jimmy Johnson''s classic I Have the Same Old Blues, done most famously in the 60''s by Chicago guitar wiz Magic Sam. It''s a smoking shuffle and guarenteed toe-tapper.
McLean''s deep growl take over on the excellent original Not Gettin'' Up, a lament for anyone who''s tried to avoid the sheer inevitability of getting out of bed and facing the day.
It''s as good an original cut as I''ve heard this year, right up there with Mitch Kashmar''s Nickels and Dimes and Chris Mawer''s Paying the Price. Slim matches that performance on the pacey-but-faithful Eddie Taylor nugget, I Feel So Bad.
The downsides: (and there always are one or two): the mix is sometimes guitar-heavy, although it''s a quibbling point, because it''s all good.
At times, Slim sounds a little less confident than he is when belting it out at Bues on Whyte. And new arrangements aside, here''s hoping the second disc includes more original material- although Cricket Boogie, the band''s instumental, was impressive.
On the whole, though, it''s a stunning sucess: a true blast of Chicago blues that''ll impress anyone, from the Windy City to winter Winnipeg and all points around.
Jeremy Loome
* Excerpt from The Edmonton Journal (Thurs., Dec 15,2005)
"this is a hard-hitting tight ensemble that prides itself on dispensing a sound that combines muscular grooves and economical, yet powerful solos with intense interplay.
It''s a blues band in the truest sense of the term. You won''t find any rock or fusion influences in the recipe that Jimmy and the sleepers cook up."
Peter North (writer, promoter, CKUA radio music director)
* "Thanks for sending me that Jimmy and the Sleepers-fantastic guitar!! I won''t forget these guys"
Kevin Johnson,
Director of Promotion
Delmark Records
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