Jay Willie Blues Band - New York Minute (2013)

Tracklist

01. Hollywood (feat. Marlou Zandvliet)
02. New York Minute
03. Chain Smokin'
04. You Hurt Me (feat. Jason Ricci)
05. It's Your Thing
06. Devilbones
07. I Can't Be Satisfied
08. Champagne & Reefer
09. The Wobble
10. Tattoed You
11. Watch Pocket
12. Goin' Down Slow
13. Hoodoo
14. Best Side of You
15. That Ain't It

Jay Willie from the Connecticut-based Jay Willie Blues Band here - thank you for considering to buy our music! It is a pleasure to be working with the New York area-located ZOHO Music label and to be part of its distinguished Roots artists roster. Jochen Becker, President of ZOHO, asked that I write these liner notes. I have a collection of vinyl records from my youth and recall the anticipation and excitement of not only hearing the music without any previous sampling, but reading the liner notes and getting more personal with the artists whom I so admired while the music was in the forefront.
Times have changed, and in a digital society much of the music can be purchased via internet one song at a time. Regardless how you came to listen and enjoy our music, I think it’s considerate to tell you about, and give credit to everyone involved in the creation of this recording. I would like to express my gratitude to the performers, writers and others involved in creating a release that we are very proud of.

This recording is a combination of original and cover songs which are a mixture of Texas Blues, Rock, and ballads. Our featured guest artists are Jason Ricci and Marlou Zandvliet. I first met harmonica player Jason Ricci in 2008, performing at the Green Parrot in Key West, FL. Jason is an extraordinary talent and like Bobby T Torello, our drummer, he puts his whole being into his performance. Jason’s contributions to harmonica design and techniques have had a great influence on many players worldwide, and he has expanded the boundariesand perceived limitations of a great instrument. He performs on tracks Hollywood, The Wobble, You Hurt Me and New York Minute. Because of his passion on the song You Hurt Me, we decided to eliminate the initial vocal track and let the harmonica speak for itself throughout the entire song. I had just finished reading an older interview about Jason where he talks about some of his life challenges, and I felt every one of them through this compelling performance. Jason was very cool about doing the project and he is totally about his craft and there was no ego to deal with. He recently signed with a major talent booking agency and will be extensively touring in the USA and Europe.

YouTube is a great resource for music sharing, and I happened upon Marlou Zandvliet from the Netherlands, a stunning young singer performing a quirky rendition of Steve Marriott’s Black Coffee. Steve was one of my favorite performers, and I love his version of the song on the BBC television music show "The Old Grey Whistle Test". I was totally impressed with Marlou’s singing and stage presence, particularly after viewing her other posts. It's amazing that someone her age has developed such a profound understanding of the blues. Marlou has a unique musical style and we will be seeing more of her performances in the future.

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